


This Deadly Game We Play

by megsblackfire



Series: Reaping Dragons [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate story line, Genderfluid Character, Hurt/Comfort, Original Female Characters - Freeform, Original Male Characters - Freeform, Slow Burn, Smut, gender bending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-16
Updated: 2016-11-17
Packaged: 2018-07-24 09:57:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 33
Words: 108,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7503970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megsblackfire/pseuds/megsblackfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Overwatch has been having a very rough year. Missions are failing constantly, Blackwatch is losing agents faster than Gabriel Reyes can replace them, and there are whispers of more nefarious plots shifting below the surface. </p><p>Hanzo Shimada has only just started down the road to recovery and while Overwatch is not the best place to try to look for redemption, she'll be damned if she leaves flighty Genji alone with these people.</p><p>Throw in a cowboy with more mouth than brains, a Commander that has a smile to rival Genji's, a soul-eater with a sadistic kick, confused emotions, and its a recipe for disaster. And dragons, never forget the dragons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

 

 

Whoever had taken over for security at Shimada Castle should have been ashamed of themselves. Four guards; that’s all she had to eliminate to get in. It was disgustingly underpar; had the Shimada clan fallen that far since she left?

Shaking her head, Hanzo knelt down in front of the altar. There was a dented sword displayed in front of her, the sword she had left behind when she killed her last man for the Shimada clan. Behind it was a blood-splattered tapestry, the bottom shredded by powerful claws. Her work; all of it.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Hanzo set her bow down, running her fingers carefully over the grip. The only companion she had had in years, Storm Bow had never failed her. It did not judge, not caring where it was told to guide her arrows so long as she was the one holding it. She reached into the pouch on her hip and set out a small bowl, a small incense holder, and, lastly but most importantly to her, a sparrow feather.

She lit four sticks of incense and quietly recited the prayers and honorifics necessary to appease the dead. Just as every year before, she felt no calmer, felt no more at peace with what she had done, and could only think about one thing; what a vile monster she was for murdering her younger brother.

Something shifted above her, the noise so faint she almost didn’t hear in. She opened her eyes, steeling herself for the confrontation that was to come. Four guards and one assassin, it would seem. Still so terribly under par.

“You are not the first assassin sent to kill me,” she said as she set the incense in the holder, “and you will not be the last.”

Someone dropped down behind her, barely making a sound. An omnic, most likely; there was definitely the softness of sound that only came from those damnable constructs.

“You are bold to come to Shimada Castle, the den of your enemies,” the assassin told her.

Their voice was heavily mechanized and it sent a cold chill down her spine. Omnic assassins had no shred of honour in their circuits. She was surprised they had not simply killed her from a distance and left her corpse to rot next to her offerings.

“This was once my home,” she replied as she reached for her bow. “Did your masters not tell you who I was?”

She nocked an arrow and twisted around, loosing it at the omnic standing behind her. They dodged the arrow as if she had shot wide, their form perfect as metal and a strange rubbery substance that looked suspiciously like muscle shifted. The green visor brightened in amusement, watching her with sick satisfaction.

“I know who you are, Hanzo,” the assassin said.

The use of her name sent a small tremor of surprise through her. None of the previous assassins had ever bothered to use her name. Most had snarled that she was unworthy of it before she slit their throats. Her surprise did not last long.

With a growl, she nocked another around, twisted the end slightly so it would curve in the air, and released it. It sailed first to the right, then twisted, searching for its mark in the side of the assassin. The gray-plated omnic ducked, keeping their balance on their fingers. The arrow stuck in the floor with a soft thump.

“I know you come here every year on the same day,” the assassin added as they climbed to their feet.

Hanzo narrowed her eyes and pulled three arrows from her quiver. She fired the first one and the assassin dove behind one of the screens decorating the entrance to the temple. She could see their outline through it; it wasn’t much of cover; but even after she fired the other two arrows, she still missed.

“You risk so much to honour someone you murdered!” the assassin snarled before they leaped out from behind cover.

Three shurikens came flying towards her and she ducked. She felt one nick her ear as it flew past, but she was more focused on the assassin to care about some little wound.

“You know NOTHING of what happened!” she snarled as she nocked another arrow.

She rolled forward and fired. The assassin, dumbly, put their sword up to block the arrow and was blasted backwards through the screen for their efforts. She heard them fall to the story below and rolled her eyes. Great, now she had to go catch the damn thing. Shaking her head, she sprinted forward, nocking a Scatter arrow as she ran.

She reached the railing just in time to see the assassin sprinting towards the stairs. She fired and bolted, hoping to cut them off. She heard the Scatter arrow pinging along the lower level and the infuriating sound of the assassin blocking a few of them. They flipped skillfully over the railing and sheathed their sword, glaring at her through their visor. Instead of charging her, getting in close to take advantage of the fact that she only had a bow; she didn’t, that would be incredibly stupid of her; they bolted up towards the balcony.

Hanzo paused for a moment. What sort of assassin fled from their target while they were still alive? Was this a new omnic fresh of the assembly line with no experience yet? It was almost tragic to destroy it, but if she was going to die, it would be at the hands of a skilled assassin, not some new blood with only dreams of glory in their minds.

She sprinted after them, nocking an arrow as she emerged onto the balcony. At least the assassin had the decency to conceal themselves. They might actually know how to do their job then. Pity.

“I know you tell yourself that you only did as you were told,” the voice came from her left.

She twisted and fired, but there was no one there. The arrow quivered in the wall. A faint snarl played across her lips as she heard the assassin drop down behind her.

“That it was your duty to do as the patriarch demanded and kill your brother,” the assassin continued as if they hadn’t been interrupted.

“It was my duty,” she growled as she pulled the last two arrows out of her quiver, “and my burden.” She spun and loosed the arrow, feeling a momentary surge of frustration as the assassin batted the arrow aside with their sword. “That does not mean I do not honour him!”

The second arrow was shot at the assassin and she saw their visor brighten. They flipped their sword around and proceeded to split the arrow in half as it flew by.

The first thought to go through Hanzo’s mind: WHAT?

The second: that is some serious bullshit!

The third: oh, great, now I’m out of arrows.

She changed her grip on Storm Bow, silently apologized for what she was about to do, and charged. Bow met blade as she tried to use her weighty bow as a club, swinging at the omnic assassin as savagely as she could. They always underestimated her strength, but not this one; this one seemed very much away of how strong she was.

She swung hard at the assassin and they dodged, leaving her open for their next attack. Instead of striking her with their sword, they kicked her hard enough to send her against the wooden railing. She felt it crack under her weight, knocking the wind out of her in a sharp gasp. The assassin jumped, lifting their sword up over their head.

It was too telegraphed for her not to be able to block it. The edge of the blade was caught in the narrow slot where she fit her arrows into Storm Bow, but the force of the impact shattered the railing beneath her. She was pinned between broken wood that was slowly poking into her back and an assassin that looked a few seconds away from driving their blade into her throat.

“You think you honour your brother, Genji, with incense and offerings?” the assassin demanded. Their visor brightened. “Honour resides in one’s actions.”

Fury boiled through Hanzo’s veins. What right did this _assassin_ have to tell her how to honour her brother? They weren’t there; they didn’t know what had happened. For all their supposed knowledge of her, they only knew what their masters had told them. They knew nothing.

“You DARE to lecture me about honour?” she growled, her eyes flicking towards the arrow still stuck in the floorboards where the assassin had knocked it aside. “You are not worthy to speak his name!”

She wrenched Storm Bow to the side, throwing the omnic off balance. It was just enough breathing room for her to lunge forward and hook Storm Bow around their neck. With all of her strength, she twisted and flipped the mechanical nightmare over her shoulder, throwing them as far from her as she could.

She didn’t see them land, instead bolting towards the arrow in the floor. She slid the last few feet, using her momentum to pluck the arrow out of the floorboards. She nocked it onto Storm Bow and reached deep within herself to where her guardians were circling, waiting for their chance to protect her. She drew back on the string, aiming for the assassin that had just regained their foot. Blue tendrils of ethereal power wound their way down her bare arm, following the twisting path of her tattoo.

“ _Ryuu ga waga teki wo kurau_!”

The dragons ripped through the ether and into the waking world, following the flight of the arrow Hanzo had just fired. She wavered where she was crouched, her energy rushing out of her to follow the twisting path of the blue, glowing dragons. Her guardians rushed towards the assassin standing across the balcony from her. One of his hands was resting on the sword on his back while the other hand was held with two fingers up in front of his face. Waiting.

 _“Ryujin wo ken wo kurae_!”

Hanzo’s heart slammed against her chest and she was moving even as the green dragon materialized from the assassin’s spinning blade. He guided the green dragon between her blue ones, using it to turn the dragons around. He would have sent them right back to her. It wouldn’t matter; she wasn’t where she had been crouching anymore.

She tackled the man around the waist, slamming him to the ground. They struggled, but Hanzo levered herself up onto the man’s chest and grabbed him around the throat with both hands. All three dragons vanished back into the ethereal world, their deafening roars shaking the last of the dust from the rafters of Shimaru Castle.

“Show me your face,” Hanzo growled as she put all of her weight into the grip she had on the assassin’s neck. “Do it!”

Very slowly, the assassin reached behind his head and pushed on the expansion of gray material. There was a soft hiss of air being released before the bottom portion of the mask lowered. The assassin reached up and removed the mask, revealing a scarred face beneath and all too familiar eyes.

“Genji,” Hanzo whispered. “You…. Genji.”

She cupped her little brother’s face in her hands, trembling as he reached up to run his fingers through her hair.

“Hello, _oneesan_ ,” he murmured. “Did you miss me?”

“What the hell was this?” she hissed at him as tears blurred her vision. “I could have killed you!”

“You were doing a poor job of it, Hanzo,” Genji laughed. “I didn’t think you had fallen that far out of practice.”

Hanzo brought her fist down on Genji’s head, the move so automatic that she didn’t stop to consider how much of a bad idea it was. Her fist bounced off of his metal armor and she gasped in pain, bringing her fist to her chest and cradling it.

“Ow,” she hissed.

“I could have told you how that was going to go,” Genji huffed as he tried to sit up.

Hanzo shifted off of him and rubbed her hand. “Old habit,” she grumbled. “How did this,” she waved her good hand at him, “happen?”

“Long story,” Genji’s lips twitched in a smile before he grimaced. “Ow.” He rubbed his bottom jaw, massaging the mess of wires and circuitry that hooked him into the rest of his armor.

A lump formed in Hanzo’s throat and she reached out to touch her brother’s shoulder. “Genji,” she croaked.

“Do not be sad, _oneesan_ ,” he turned to look at her. “I have accepted what I am and I have forgiven you.”

Hanzo shook her head; how could her brother forgive her for almost murdering him? It didn’t make sense.

“I don’t….”

“I know that you doubt my words; most would, but I am not lying, _oneesan_ ,” he said. His eye closed in a gentle smile. “I want you to come with me. I know of a safe place where we can both heal. They will not treat you like a monster. They are kind. They will want you to heal.”

Hanzo shook her head. “I don’t….” She seemed incapable of getting far beyond that statement as of late.

“Please, Hanzo,” Genji’s voice urged. “You are all I have left. I don’t want to lose you again.”

“You. Don’t want to lose me?” Hanzo demanded. “I should be the one saying that, idiot. You were the one dead and missing for four years because of what I…. Because of my spineless actions.”

“I know,” Genji shifted closer and gently squeezed her hands. “Please.”

Hanzo stared at her brother’s mangled face and slowly closed her eyes. “Okay,” she nodded. “Okay.”

She flinched as Genji lunged forward and hugged her tightly. He nuzzled his face into her hair, laughing happily as he held her against his chest. Slowly, she returned the hug, struggling to process everything that had happened.

Genji was alive.

Genji forgave her.

They were heading somewhere that would help them heal.

She HAD to be dreaming. If she was, she hoped she never woke up.

* * *

 

Gabriel dragged her finger slowly up and down the bound man’s face. Soft, white curls of energy followed her fingers, twisting around her dark digits as she gave the man a sweet smile. On any other woman, it would have looked beautiful; on her, it was deadly, the grin of a predator that was enjoying battering their prey around.

“How many times have we been over this, _corazon_?” she asked. “Three times now? It hurts a lot less when you don’t lie to me. My feelings are so easily hurt and I just can’t stop myself from making you understand that pain.”

The man whimpered as she trailed her fingers down his neck. She leaned in and kissed his cold flesh, smirking as he let out a weak sob. Playing with her prey was always the best part. She could make them feel pain and pleasure all at the same time and, if they did what she wanted to, she made sure they were happy before her superiors gave the final decision on their fate.

“Come on, _corazon_ , won’t you tell your _muñequita_ what she wants to hear?” she purred.

“Monster,” the man wheezed out.

“Only if you want me to be,” she grinned. She nipped the man’s neck, leaving a red mark and drawing out just enough soul-energy to make him gasp. “I’m a good girl when you do what I want.”

The man was silent, shaking under her hands as she continued toying with his soul, watching the strands of energy curl over her fingers. Up and down, pain and pleasure; tell me what I want and I’ll make it all go away. And, just like that, the man started talking.

Gabriel smirked and gently kissed his cheek, angling the recorder closer to his mouth so that her superiors could hear him better. She didn’t care about the information the man was saying; it didn’t affect Overwatch or Blackwatch in the slightest. This was just petty bureaucratic bullshit that they wanted sorted out as quickly as possible. It was the only time they were happy to have her around. She never failed to get information they wanted out of any sort of person. Degenerate or businessman, they were all prey.

“We have what we need,” one of her superiors growled in her ear as the man broke down into sobs. “Do with him as you please, Reyes.”

Gabriel growled as she lifted the man’s head up towards her. “You did well, _corazon_ ,” she soothed. “So, so well. You’ve earned your release.”

She leaned in close and kissed him. The man tensed, eyes going wide as he realized just what sort of release she was speaking of. She grinned viciously against his mouth and began to drink his soul dry. He flailed uselessly against her, bound arms and legs striking her as harmlessly as poorly crumpled paper. She gulped down the last drop of energy and pulled away, watching the white tendrils follow her and sink readily into her flesh.

The man slumped dead to the floor, his eyes wide and afraid. Gabriel stretched her arms over her head and groaned, exhaling roughly through her nose as she left the interrogation room behind. Her superiors didn’t speak to her and the other officers avoided her at all costs. All except one.

Blue eyes shining, Jack Morrison hurried to her side as soon as he spotted her. His hands settled on her cheeks, silently asking if she was alright. She kissed his nose, smirking as his pretty face turned a faint shade of pink.

“Let’s get back to the Watchpoint,” she said as she looped her fingers around his.

“Sounds like a plan,” Jack shook his head. “I saw everything on the monitors. You okay?”

“I’m fine,” she smirked. “Do I scare you, Morrison?”

“Terrify me,” he smiled.

“Good,” she growled. “Then you know where you belong, _cariño_.”

Jack shook his head and ran his fingers through his blond hair. “You’re something else, you know that?” he sighed.  

“And you would be lost without me,” she purred.

Jack didn’t argue. He just gave her a winning smile and pressed his forehead against hers.


	2. Chapter 1

Much had changed, Genji noted as he watched Hanzo below. It had been less than a year since they had begun their reconciliation, but he could already see the changes in his elder sister. She was still Hanzo; still as cold and unapproachable as ever; that would never change for as long as they still drew breath. But he could sense the change in her demeanor and he was beyond happy about it. She wasn’t as angry anymore, with the world or with herself, and bits and pieces of the old Hanzo were starting to shine through.

Below his perch; Genji could never bring himself to just sit normally anywhere; Hanzo was slowly walking through the regimented steps of _kyudo_. She was dressed in the traditional garb, forgoing her practical outfit in favour of getting in tune with the art. Genji always thought Hanzo looked beautiful in traditional female kimonos; Hanzo always just grumbled about the lack of leg room and that pants were more practical for climbing. Practicality and use; those were Hanzo’s favourite aspects of her clothing. And yet, in spite of that, she still managed to rise elegantly to her feet, the massive bow held in her left hand somehow looking less unwieldy than usual. Genji watched in silent awe as his sister lifted a delicate looking arrow, nocked it, and pulled the bow back. He watched Hanzo breath in and hold it for a second before she let the arrow fly.

It hit the center of the target and quivered from the force of the impact. Genji almost clapped his hands, but stilled himself just in time. Of course Hanzo would hit the center; she never missed. She was damn near perfect in everything that she attempted and, if Genji didn’t have the same unnatural talent, he might have been jealous.

“It is not like you to be silent for so long, Genji,” Hanzo called as she knelt down and set the long bow back down on the mat. “Someone might mistake you for a statue.”

Genji’s visor brightened. He couldn’t smile anymore; most of his mouth had been shredded to pieces and not even Dr. Angela Ziegler could properly reconstruct it; but he had learned how to get his emotions across in other manners. He shifted his weight, spread his arms wide, and tumbled forward. He landed lightly on the tips of his feet, feeling the strange mesh of mechanical and biological muscles absorb the impact without a sound.

“I enjoy watching you, Hanzo; it’s peaceful,” he chirped.

Hanzo’s stern mouth twitched in a smile. There was still pain in her sister’s dark eyes; Genji saw it every time Hanzo looked at him. It was the sheer realization of just what she had done to her little brother, what sort of a monster she was, and how, somehow, Genji had found it in his heart to forgive his monstrous sister.

Genji had forgiven her from the beginning. Even when he lay dying in a growing pool of his own blood, torn to pieces by Hanzo’s raw fury, he had forgiven her. Their father was a terrifying man and, when confronted with the “failure” that was Genji, he would have been even more terrifying. Hanzo knew no other life than pleasing their father, would have done anything to hold onto whatever honour their family claimed it had, and Genji did not blame her. No, he had forgiven his older sister; only time would allow Hanzo to forgive herself.

“If it is so peaceful, perhaps you should join me,” Hanzo said.

“I am terrible with a bow,” Genji wrinkled his nose behind her visor, letting the green light flare.

“Accuracy does not matter,” Hanzo soothed. “It is all about form.”

“Then I will be the most spectacular failure to ever hold a bow as the arrow soars over the walls of the monastery and hits some poor yak between the eyes,” Genji gave a flourished bow.

Hanzo rolled her eyes and laughed. It was a beautiful sound, one that rang through the cool courtyard and filled Genji with joy. He started laughing as well, minding the pitch of his mechanized voice so he didn’t harm his sister.

“You have a way with words, Genji,” Hanzo shook her head. She propped a hand on her hip and opened her mouth to add something else, but froze. Her dark eyes darted to the wall that Genji had dropped from and her lip curled over her immaculate fangs. “People are approaching the monastery.”

Genji cocked his head to the side before he turned and easily scaled the wall behind them. Hanzo was a half-step behind him, growling about the impracticality of the hem of her kimono the whole way. They were two still forms on a wall of carefully crafted marble with only their long scarves moving in the soft breeze. Gold and green, two flags greeting the approaching people climbing the winding stairs to the Shamboli monastery.

Hanzo squinted. “What is that symbol?” she asked.

She didn’t point, but Genji knew where his sister was looking. It was a large, black circle with the top-most portion separated and coloured yellow and two smaller arms almost touching in the center. He knew the symbol fairly well; it had been all over the uniforms of the doctors and nurses in the medical ward that had saved his life.

“Overwatch,” Genji nodded his head slowly. “Must be here to speak with Master Mondatta.”

Hanzo curled her lip before carefully reaching up to rub the sneer away. She was slowly getting over her prejudice against omnics; being surrounded by them certainly helped speed the process up; but she still reacted negatively to their presence. She was incredibly unfriendly with Master Tekhartha Mondatta, the spiritual leader of the monastery. Genji hoped that his sister would calm down as time went on; he just had to be patient.

“Should we let him know?” Hanzo asked.

“Might be best,” Genji nodded. “Race you?”

“Not in this thing,” Hanzo groaned.

Genji grinned before he easily backflipped off of the building, leaving his elder sister to scramble after him with a string of curses.

* * *

 

Gabriel Reyes had to hand it to the omnics; they certainly knew how to make a place homey. Her crew was ushered into a quiet room and offered refreshments; healthy things that tasted like paper, but they filled a belly up well enough. McCree got a little too comfy on the couch next to her, so she very subtly shoved him off of it. By subtly, she meant put her boot against his back and kicked him off as hard as she could without breaking all of his ribs. The room was full of soft lights, both from candles and a complex string of fixtures that she didn’t even bother trying to follow the pattern of. All she cared about was that her team was looked after following their long trek up the side of the mountain.

Tekhartha Mondatta did not keep her waiting. She appreciated that. She had precious little time to waste on anything these days.

“You must be Gabriel Reyes,” Mondatta greeted as he extended his hands.

Gabriel nodded, not bothering to correct the pronunciation of her last name. There was only so much a synthesised voice could do with sounds.

“Thank you for seeing us on such short notice, Master Mondatta,” Gabriel said as she took both of the omnic’s offered hands. “I know it’s not an easy thing to do with tensions being as high as they are.”

“All are equal here,” Mondatta tipped his head and dimmed his blue forehead dots in what Gabriel assumed was a smile. “I understand that you are interested in recruiting some of our students. It is an honour to attract the attention of an organization like Overwatch.”

And that would be Jack blabbing his God-damned mouth again. If she didn’t like his face so much, she might have to punch him.

“My superiors are interested, yes,” she said carefully. “You will not be implicated, Master Mondatta. Everything will be properly handled by….”

“I cannot give you permission to collect anyone, Commander Reyes,” Mondatta bowed his head. “The decision lies with them.”

Gabriel took a deep breath to steady herself. She hated it when she was corrected in front of her team. However, she could not punch the leader of the Shamboli Monastery in the face. Not only was it rude, incredibly unprofessional, but it would also likely break the knuckles in her hand. Angela would have her head on a pike if she returned from a simple recruiting mission with a busted up hand because she got the bright idea to punch an omnic in the face.

“A…good point,” she said. “Would it be possible to meet with our candidates privately?”

“I can have it arranged,” Mondatta did that strange smile again. “Can I have their names?”

“Shimada Genji, Shimada Hanzo, and Tekhartha Zenyatta,” Gabriel folded her hands behind her back. “If you could show them to this room or one that you deem secure enough for private conversation?”

“I will see it done, Commander,” Mondatta said after a pause. “I will come get you when I have found them and a suitable room to talk.”

Mondatta bowed at the waist and Gabriel stiffly returned the gesture. She was not good with East Asian customs; Jack should have been the one to be doing this sort of thing. Everyone loved that puppy-dog eyed pretty boy and his blunders were seen as endearing. Gabriel screwed up and things had a habit of hitting the fan fast.

Mondatta left and McCree let out a snicker behind her. “You’re twitching, boss,” he called.

“Amelie, smack him,” Gabriel called over her shoulder.

McCree yelped as Amelie dutifully smacked the gunslinger over the head. He grumbled and rubbed the sore spot on his head, squinting at Gabriel as she turned to face him. She lifted an eyebrow, glaring the man down until he lifted his hands innocently.

“Thought you’d want to know, boss, that’s all,” he said sweetly.

“When I want your opinion, McCree, I’ll ask it,” Gabriel said.

“You never ask for it,” McCree pouted.

“Exactly.”

McCree pouted more, pulling his hat off to ruffle his dark brown hair. “Gotta shoot me where it hurts,” he grumbled.

“Only time you ever listen,” Amelie smirked at him.

McCree gave the sniper a glower before settling back against the couch with his hat on his knee. “Guessin’ you want us to hold down the fort while you meet with our candidates, boss?” he asked.

“That’s the plan,” Gabriel nodded. “One-on-one has always had better results than swarming over the candidates.”

McCree nodded before putting his hat back on his head and pulling the brim down over his eyes. “Have at ‘er, boss.”

Gabriel glanced at Amelie and the sniper dutifully smacked the mouthy gunslinger over the head again. The yelp of pain was a beautiful thing to hear.

* * *

 

Jesse McCree fell asleep shortly after Gabriel left to speak with the candidates. The trek up the mountain had been difficult between the wind and the sudden bursts of snowsqualls that were apparently very common this time of year; no one told him that or he would have packed a bigger jacket. He was justifiably tired and since the boss was away, he saw no reason for him not to catch 50 winks. Amelie wouldn’t hit him without Gabriel’s approval, so he didn’t have to worry about the sniper and everyone else would likely be snoring soon anyways.

So, with his hat pulled down over his face, he snoozed and dreamed.

Funny thing about the dream was that he felt strangely at peace. Sure, he was in the courtyard of the Shamboli monastery, but he felt really, really calm. Calmer than he had felt in a long time. It was like all the time spent in Overwatch and Blackwatch meant nothing. Again, strange considering his nightmares were dogged by the things he had done in his current and past line of work.

He leaned his back against the cool stones behind him, watching the faint breeze toy with the green leaves growing on the trees below him. Birds were singing, a squirrel or two darted past chittering angrily at each other, and he heard the faint murmur of meditating monks. It was peaceful.

It was peaceful, up until a green streak flew past him and almost knocked him off the ledge he was sitting on. Scrambling to his feet, McCree stared at the green serpentine creature that coiled its way through the air. It was covered in a strange mixture of fur and scales with two massive whiskers trailing down the length of its body. It twisted towards him, showing off a tiger-like mouth and nose on the end of a reptilian face, before racing towards him.

It stopped a few inches away from him, brilliant yellow eyes gleaming in amusement. _“You’re new,”_ the thing chirped at him.

McCree didn’t reel in surprise; this was a dream. A lot of weird shit happened in dreams. Hell, he’d had a dream where his favourite pair of boots could walk and dance all on their own. Talking, flying reptiles felt as natural here as anything. What was weird was that the voice, if he could call it that, seemed to be in his head.

“Suppose I am,” he replied carefully.

The creature tilted his head; dragon, he blinked slowly at the realization, one of the pretty ones that were all over East Asia; before it twirled itself into looping circles.

_“Kita and Minami will want to speak with you,”_ the creature giggled.

“Well, I suppose I shouldn’t keep them waiting. Where are these two lovely people?”

_“This one is not very observant,”_ a voice growled behind him. It was deep and raspy, the kind of voice he suspected came from a very old being.

_“Be nice, my love; his kind do not walk these dreams often,”_ another voice soothed. It was softer, lighter, but sounded just as old.

Turning around, McCree stared in awe at the two blue and gold dragons lying on the wall above him. One was absolutely massive, its head easily the length of his body and the body much, much longer than should have been possible. Intelligent golden eyes watched him and he could feel a soft growl emanating from the beast. The other was much smaller, easily suited to curling around someone’s shoulder and lying there like a fox scarf. Staring at them made him feel small, but not afraid. These two weren’t going to harm him, not for no good reason.

“My kind, friend?” he asked.

_“Those from the West,”_ the smaller dragon inclined their head. _“Your kind walk other realms when you dream. This monastery,”_ the beast looked around in approval, _“has acted as a nexus point. Our presence is strong here, but, unfortunately, nightmares are just as powerful.”_

The larger dragon lifted their head off of their claws and swung it down to face him. McCree tensed, staring into the golden eyes over a ridge of golden fur on the beast’s snout. He should have felt scared, but dreams tended not to have logic. Proof of that was the desire to pet the massive beast like it was the family dog. Safer to keep his hands to himself than lose an arm.

_“Do you know why you are here, Jesse McCree?”_ the beast asked.

“Following my commanding officer, sir,” he replied.

The dragon snorted at him. _“Ma’am would be a more fitting term if you are going to use human honorifics, child,”_ it said. _“And I suppose your dedication to your job should be commended.”_

“Uh, awfully sorry ma’am,” he swallowed and tipped his hat. “Deeper voices generally mean males where I come from.”

_“Yes, amongst humans,”_ the dragon chuckled. _“But I am no human and thus your experiences amount to little.”_ The massive beast shook her head and slowly looped her incredibly long body around McCree. _“Time means little to beings like us, Jesse McCree. Eons can pass and we would not know, not unless we have humans to protect and nurture. Our charge is hurt, hurt because of the decisions they have made in their life and the consequences that they have brought. You may help ease that pain.”_

“Now, now, let’s not go jumping the gun here, ma’am,” McCree lifted his hands and gave a rather pathetic two handed wave that he hoped looked like “calm down” to them. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

_“Not yet,”_ the smaller dragon agreed as they joined in looping around him. _“But you will. Your paths will cross and it will be up to the both of you whether or not you continue in the same direction. Do not be afraid.”_

Before McCree had a chance to respond, he was snorting awake. His head stung and he rubbed the back of his head where Amelie had hit him.

“The Hell?” he grumbled.

“You were snoring like a freight train,” Amelie snorted sleepily. “Thought you were going to choke on your tongue.”

“Yes, and hitting me was the only way to solve that problem,” he growled.

Amelie gave him a sweet smile that made his skin crawl. He had no idea why Gabriel liked the sniper; maybe it was a female thing? He trusted Gabriel’s judgement; there were a lot of people he didn’t like that he had to work with; but he just wished the woman didn’t look like she was secretly plotting the best way to dissect him.

He did his best not to shudder at the thought and plopped his hat back over his face. He knew he’d had a dream about something weird, but he couldn’t quite remember what it was. Funny how that happened sometimes; the best feelings of a dream vanishing the instant he woke up. He yawned and settled his back against the couch, crossing his feet again as he folded his arms behind his head.

He could still use more sleep.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, there will be a lot of original characters thrown around to fill out the roster. Some will be more important than others; some are just placeholders for people saying "rhubarb" in the background shots.

Gabriel tried not to think about her dumb luck as she stared the elder Shimada woman down. Genji had seemed ecstatic about joining Overwatch, even gushing uncomfortably about the group’s accomplishments when Gabriel hadn’t bothered to keep talking. Zenyatta, true to his omnic coding, was much calmer about the offer, but just as enthusiastic. Hanzo, however, was a different creature altogether.

Gabriel wasn’t easily intimidated. Very few things scared her and she was proud of her iron nerves, but something about Hanzo’s presence made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. There was something about the curtain of black hair tumbling about her face mixed with the sharp features and cold brown eyes that reminded her of a predator waiting for a chance to attack. Or maybe it was letting Jack convince her to watch those weird old horror movies that were remakes of Japanese movies that was making her uncomfortable. Either way, Hanzo would make a fearsome addition to Blackwatch if she had the stones for it.

Gabriel usually had a good eye for recruits. Everyone else had been ready to throw McCree in jail to rot with the rest of his little crew, but she had seen potential in him. It had been under a metric ass-ton of teenage cockiness that needed to be damn near beaten out of him, but he was one of her best soldiers. Then there was Andrew “Trice” Lexon, the kid with the fascination with Tasers and all the things that make a muscle contract from outside input. She needed to keep a firm hand on him, but he always got the information she wanted. And, of course, there was Amelie Lacroix, the real wildcard of her group. No one had thought she would be as terrifying with a sniper rifle as she was, but Gabriel had pushed as hard as she could to get the girl to start practicing and, low and behold, she was unmatched. Yes, Gabriel had a very good eye for recruits.

It was convincing Hanzo to join that was the problem.

“This isn’t an opportunity that you should pass up,” Gabriel said.

“You may convince Genji with your pretty words, Commander, but I have not lived this long by being so easily impressed,” Hanzo’s voice was as cold as her eyes.

Time to pull out the underhand tactics then. Gabriel usually didn’t have a problem using low-blows to get people to talk and see her point of view, but Hanzo wasn’t some brow-beaten darling used to snivelling behind her daddy’s leg. There was a fighter in that body and using low-blows against the likes of her never felt right. She needed the sister though; she knew damn well that Genji wouldn’t leave her and if Genji didn’t come neither would Zenyatta. She needed Hanzo to get the full package or she would be leaving empty handed.

There had been too much of that happening as of late for her to even think about failing something this simple.

“You want to redeem yourself for the crimes you’ve committed in your father’s name, Hanzo?” Gabriel asked with a sweet smile on her dark lips. Hanzo stiffened and the left side of her lip curled up to reveal a gleaming white fang. “I know more about you than you think, Shimada-san. I’m offering you a chance to really redeem yourself, not waste your potential behind the gleaming walls of an omnic monastery.”

Something shifted behind those dark brown eyes and Gabriel felt a small swell of victory in her chest. Hanzo at least looked like she was thinking the offer over carefully now. Jack was going to have a field-day with her. A woman like her did not take orders well and needed to be broken in delicately or they ran the risk of her turning on them like a wild beast.

“You have two days to think the offer over,” Gabriel inclined her head. “Meet at the gate on the morning of the third day if you accept. Otherwise you can rot here until you’ve done whatever it is that you think has redeemed you.”

Hanzo was silent as Gabriel got to her feet. She made it to the door before the sharp, Japanese-accented voice spoke again.

“You have honeyed words, soul-eater,” Hanzo called after her. “But do not think you have won.”

Gabriel let out a snort and started back down the hallway to where her team was waiting. Sweat beaded down her neck as she tried not to think about how easily Hanzo had pegged her. “Soul-eater”; how had Hanzo even known?

* * *

 

McCree watched Genji and Zenyatta as the two hiked their belongings up onto their backs. It was a long walk down the mountain; one he really wasn’t looking forward to; but he doubted an omnic and whatever the hell Genji was would mind. He just hoped that he could resist the urge to shoot himself; Genji didn’t seem to have an “off” button for his mouth. How could someone even talk that much?

Gabriel squinted at the sun and spat on the ground. “Move out,” she ordered after nodding to Tekhartha Mondatta.

The team started down the rocky mountain-side, Genji trotting happily behind Gabriel while Zenyatta floated beside him. McCree shot a glance over his shoulder, looking for the missing member of the party. He hadn’t seen Genji’s older sister the entire time he had been at the monastery, but he knew that she wasn’t present. Genji didn’t have an explanation as to his sister’s whereabouts and Gabriel wasn’t wasting time on a “lost cause”. McCree was half-way through pulling his hat down over his eyes when a flash of blue dropped down beside Genji.

Half the team shouted in surprise, but Genji’s squeal of delight over-powered them. His green visor was glowing brightly at the woman straightening out her shirt and pulled the golden scarf in her hair tighter so that it didn’t slip loose.

“I knew you would make it,” Genji cheered before he started yammering away in Japanese.

The other woman glanced at him and McCree thought he saw a sparkle of affection in her dark brown eyes. McCree’s stomach did an odd flip in his gut as he blinked at the newcomer, trying to figure out if he was terrified by the sheer force of the woman’s presence or really badly turned on.

This striking figure decked out in men’s attire could be no one other than Shimada Hanzo. McCree, admittedly, had been expecting a woman as reserved as Genji was bubbly, but he wasn’t prepared for Hanzo’s presence. It was like the woman had no fear of the company she had dropped into and, judging by the fact that her bow was looped around her body and not held tightly in her hand, she wasn’t afraid of being attacked. That sort of confidence was a kick to the gut for anyone that had worked in Blackwatch for longer than a year; they were to be feared, but here was this complete stranger acting like they were strolling through the park surrounded by puppies.

“You’re late,” Gabriel commented as she turned to glare at Hanzo.

“There were a few last minute details I had to resolve, none of which concerned you,” Hanzo inclined her head. “You will not lose time on my account, Commander, by any means.”

McCree’s mouth fell open. Hanzo spoke with such perfect articulation, not wasting a single syllable, and sounded so terrifyingly regal that it was easy to forget that she had just managed to talk down to Gabriel fucking Reyes. The only person he knew who could get away with that was Jack Morrison and Gabriel still kicked his ass when he did it in front of her unit.

Gabriel just smirked and resumed walking. “Shut your mouth, McCree,” she called over her shoulder, “or one of those eagles might make a nest in there.”

McCree closed his mouth and did his best not to jump as the full force of Hanzo’s gaze fell on him. He stared at the sharp, regal features framed by long black hair and felt his stomach flip over again. A look of annoyance clouded Hanzo’s face before she adjusted the bow and travel pack and followed Gabriel down the mountain.

McCree swallowed as the rest of his team pushed past him. Genji waited patiently for the others to move around him before he skipped over to his side. He looked up at him, visor a brilliant green as he laced his fingers adorably behind his back. He had no idea how someone encased in metal and lacking any discernible facial features could be so endearingly cute. It wasn’t natural.

“She likes you,” Genji said.

McCree felt heat creeping up the length of his neck. “And how do you know that?” he asked.

“She didn’t try to kill you for staring at her,” Genji’s visor flashed.

McCree blinked at the cyborg in confusion as he let out a wild cackle and leaped down the mountain after his sister. What the hell had he just unwittingly walked into?


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut ahead. You have been warned.
> 
> I also took massive liberties with Gabriel's height. Her height is not the official height of 6' 1'' but rather 7'. She is a massive woman.

Jack Morrison watched the new recruits be led around the facility by Leno Oxton. He squinted, momentarily worried that he had just misidentified Tracer, but relaxed when he spotted the brown bomber jacket. She wasn’t his personal pick to show around new recruits, but Winston commented that it might be best to show everyone their more energetic members first. He couldn’t argue with the scientist’s logic. Show them the tiring stuff first and then let them find peace wherever they fell.

“Not a bad haul,” Gabriel commented as she leaned on the railing beside him.

Gabriel Reyes was a massive woman, towering over just about everyone except for Reinhardt. She was solid muscle, the kind of woman that had spent the last thirty years of her life learning how to kill someone with just her fists. Her black hair used to be a wild mass of curls that fell almost to the center of her back and had to be pulled back into a thick ponytail so it didn’t get in the way. Since taking over Blackwatch, however, she shaved it and only periodically let it grow out enough to fall seductively in front of her eyes. She had a mouth made for sneering, which only made her real smiles all the more beautiful, and brown eyes that could pierce straight through a man’s soul and leave him with soiled pants.

She was the kind of woman men ran from, too scared of being emasculated by her presence to even try looking deeper. She was big, crass, and threw punches that felt like log trucks slamming into you.

Jack thought she was beautiful. He had never been in love with anyone the way he was with her. He looked at her and he still got butterflies in his stomach, still wanted to smile and kiss her like they were a couple of idiot teenagers hiding under the bleachers at the half-time show.

Leaning on the railing like she was now, he had a perfect profile shot of her. He adored her strong features, the scarred flesh that had healed to an even darker brown against her dark skin, and the dark eyebrows that made her eyes even more dangerously seductive. She had the sides of her head shaved while the center was left alone so the curls could grow out. They were currently lazily tumbling down the right side of her head, hiding from Jack’s sight. She shifted her weight, hips rolling carefully, as she watched the recruits below.

 “There’s a few of them that might make good Blackwatch agents in time,” she mused.

“You would worry about bolstering your ranks,” Jack rolled his eyes playfully.

“I lost a lot of good men in that last sting,” Gabriel’s voice hardened. Her shoulders tensed and he felt the air grow harsh around her.

“I know,” Jack soothed. “I was teasing.”

Gabriel’s shoulders relaxed and she shot him a dazzling smile. “I know. Sorry.”

Jack returned the smile and carefully rested his hand over top of Gabriel’s. It was rare that they had time off at the same time, but they were making the most of their situation. Their positions in Overwatch and Blackwatch made everything much more difficult than it needed to be, but he was confident that they would be fine. Gabriel was a big girl; she didn’t need him holding her hand to get her duties done.

“I read the dossiers on the Shimada siblings,” he said carefully. “Are you sure that having Hanzo here is a good idea?”

“Honestly?” Gabriel asked, shooting him a quick glance. “She scares me, Jack, and I don’t say that lightly. She knows what I am; don’t ask me how she figured it out, but she knows. ‘Soul-eater’ she called me. We couldn’t have talked for more than ten minutes and she knows my dark little secret.”

“Soul-eater”; an apt description of what Gabriel Reyes was capable of. Jack shivered, as uncomfortable as Gabriel was at the idea of Hanzo so quickly being able to discern Gabriel’s condition. It had taken doctors years to figure out what was wrong with her and why people almost died around her on a regular basis; for Hanzo to figure it out within minutes was both terrifying and dangerous.

“If she’s smart, she won’t try to use it against you,” Jack said carefully.

“She’s smart,” Gabriel nodded her head. “Damn smart. Genji too, although he hides it well enough behind laughter and bad attempts at flirting. I’ve heard of polar opposites before, but those two are staggeringly different.”

“And the incident…?” Jack asked carefully.

“Between them,” Gabriel made a definitive gesture with her free hand. “I already told them to keep it to themselves and keep the infighting to a minimum. Hanzo looked ready to put an arrow through my eye for it.”

“I’ll keep tabs on her,” Jack promised. “We don’t need operatives dropping dead because one woman can’t keep her temper in check.”

“Oh, how sweet of you,” Gabriel mocked. “I’m sure everyone will feel so much safer knowing that big Jack Morrison is watching their backs.”

Jack growled at her and grabbed her around the waist. “Oh really?” he demanded as he hoisted Gabriel up against his chest.

Gabriel grinned viciously at him, dark brown eyes flashing with delight. She didn’t fight him, never had to. Instead, she locked her arms around his neck and kissed him. He felt his energy draining as she kissed him, saw the soft tendrils of white essence curling off of his cheeks and flow down the sides of her dark neck, and felt his knees knock together. She pulled away quickly, grin still in place as she pulled his bottom lip firmly between her teeth. The mix of pain and pleasure made stars dance in front of his eyes and he stumbled after her as she slipped free of his grasp.

“Keep up, pretty boy,” she called as she backed up, crooking a finger suggestively.

Jack scrambled to keep up with her, panting heavily as his soul tried to rapidly replenish itself from the small drain. Gabriel was going to be the death of him one day but he couldn’t bring himself to care, not when her eyes were so alive and that vicious grin on her face promising him a wonderful day off.

* * *

 

“And these are the dormitories; you’ll be spending most of your time here,” Lena chirped as she spread her arms wide to encompass the long hallway in front of her. “You’ll get your room number and passcode at the end of the tour. Guard them jealously because Nox won’t happily hand them out again. He’s a bit of an ass that way.”

Hanzo lifted an eyebrow at the woman. She had always thought that Genji was far too bubbly for his own good; this Lena Oxton made her brother look calm. It was rather impressive in a sad sort of way.

They continued through the dormitories and ended the “tour” in one of the many recreational rooms. Genji, who had been walking with another recruit and speaking rapid-fire Japanese, fell back to stand with Hanzo in one corner of the room. They didn’t say anything, simply watching the other recruits interact and laugh with one another. They seemed to be avoiding her at all costs and Hanzo was very happy for that. She wasn’t here to make friends; she had Genji for all of her social needs.

“Hello!” Lena grinned as she suddenly appeared at Hanzo’s elbow. She almost got a fist to the throat for her efforts from both Shimadas. “Sorry, loves! Didn’t mean to startle you. I just had to pop over and see how you were doing. That tattoo of yours is gorgeous, by the way. It must have taken months to complete it!”

“Several years, actually,” Hanzo inclined her head. “It’s part of a larger piece.”

“No kidding,” Lena’s face pulled itself into a dramatic “O”. “It’s so detailed!”

“Best that money could buy,” Genji chuckled. “Hanzo doesn’t like paying for cheap things.”

“Thank you, Sparrow,” Hanzo growled as she roughly elbowed her brother. “I don’t think you could have called me ‘stuck up’ in nicer terms.”

Lena giggled and looped her hands behind her back. “Don’t suppose you could tell me who did it for you?” she asked.

Hanzo and Genji shared a nervous glance. “He…does not like working on non-Japanese clients,” Hanzo said slowly.

He was also very dead, but was only reported missing on her father’s orders. Mentioning that to an Overwatch agent was not a wise decision, especially not with the Shimada clan still running their underground empire.

“Oh,” Lena pouted before she perked right back up. “Well, I’m glad that I got to see his work regardless. You take care now, Hanzo and Genji.”

Just like that, Lena zipped off across the room, hanging herself on the arm of another recruit and speaking animatedly with them.

“I thought you had boundless energy,” Hanzo commented as she watched.

“Makes you appreciate that I can be quiet, doesn’t it?” Genji teased.

“You have no idea,” Hanzo shook her head.

* * *

 

“Hey, Jesse, you see that new recruit? The one with the black hair and eyes that could cut you in half?” Trice asked.

McCree paused and stopped the punching bag from coming back to hit him in the face with his left hand. “Yah, travelled with her,” he replied, shooting the other man a glare. “Why?”

“Pretty hot,” the man grinned and pushed his electric yellow hair out of his green eyes. “Thought I’d ask her out. Would love to see a woman like that in low lighting.”

McCree looked him dead in the eye and started laughing at him. “She would chew you up and spit you out, Trice,” he howled.

Trice pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. Most women would have found him irresistible with his bad-boy smile, strong arms, perfect V-shaped body, and charming eyes, but McCree highly doubted that Hanzo would be interested. He had spent only a few days with the woman at a distance and he knew better than to even approach her with that kind of proposition. She had damn near ripped Ash’s head off when he got drunk and tried to play with her hair. Even more terrifying was that Reyes had almost let her and had been grinning the whole time like the whole affair was hilarious.

“I could handle her,” Trice huffed. “She’s just one woman.”

“Could you handle Gabriel?” McCree smiled sweetly at the idiot.

“No one can handle Gabriel,” Trice shuddered. “Don’t know how Commander Morrison does.”

“Well, then, let me put it to you this way, Andrew,” McCree smiled wider, using the man’s proper name to make sure he was paying attention. “Hanzo Shimada is like Gabriel Reyes, only she’s shorter, closer to Hell, and will rip your throat out for even looking at her wrong. Did you know that she talk down to Gabriel and lived to tell about it? Or that she almost killed Ash for trying to touch her hair?”

Trice’s face turned a sour shade of grey. “She can’t be that bad,” he swallowed. “She’s, you know, Japanese.”

McCree facepalmed and groaned. “Never, EVER, let me hear you say something that dumb again, partner,” he growled. “She’s an assassin. Her and her yappy little brother.”

“Assassin?” Trice cackled. “She’s like, what, 5’ 6’’?”

“Did Amelie slap the brains out of you?” McCree rolled his eyes before he turned back to his punching bag. “Take some advice, Trice. Don’t even try it.”

“You just don’t want competition,” Trice snapped.

McCree ignored the other man as he started punching again. He wasn’t even worth the effort to respond to. He didn’t like Trice; he was a little too sadistic for his taste, enjoying when he pumped someone full of electricity; but he could usually handle the man. Right now, he was just barely able to keep himself from kicking his ass out of the training room.

Because yes, damn it, he was smitten with the woman. She was a terrifyingly beautiful woman who was just mysterious enough to draw attention while being dissociated enough to keep you at bay. She hadn’t said much on the way down the mountain or the long drive to where their shuttle was waiting, but just watching her slip her headphones over her ears or let her younger brother steal one to listen to whatever song she was playing on her cellphone made his heart race.

“Come on, Jesse; don’t act like you don’t want some of that ass.”

“Trice,” McCree turned towards him, grabbing the punching bag with one hand again. “Two words. Fuck. Off.”

Trice took a step forward, his eyes gleaming as he started to issue a challenge. He flinched as the doors to the training room flew open and Reinhardt came striding in. He scuttled out of the way, glaring at the massive mountain of a knight as Reinhardt shouted something loud in German and slapped McCree’s shoulder hard enough to make his knees knock together.

He was dragged to the other end of the training room, his new work-out buddy claiming that he would put some meat on his bones. McCree was too busy laughing to worry. As soon as the two hundred pound barbell almost choked him, however, he was worried. There were only two outcomes when Reinhardt walked into the training room; bone-crushing failure or complete and utter exhaustion. He was hoping he was just going to be exhausted and not half dead by the time they were finished.

* * *

 

Genji woke in the middle of the night to his cellphone going off. He fumbled in the dark for the vibrating phone, grumbling as he finally caught the stupid thing. He squinted at the number, waiting impatiently for his visor to stop running diagnostics so he could actually make out what was flashing in front of his eyes.

“Mmm?” he answered as he pressed the phone against the side of his head.

Silence greeted him before a very soft, very frightened “Genji?” whispered down the line. He was wide awake in a heartbeat, kicking his covers off as he struggled into a sitting position.

“Hanzo, what’s wrong?” he asked.

“I nee…Genji,” she whimpered.

He could hear her soft sobs through the phone and his heart broke. Nightmares; it was always nightmares that did this to her. It was one of the few places that she couldn’t defend herself from the things that dogged her steps.

“Hanzo, I’ll be right there,” he promised. “What’s the passcode to your room?”

“52, 47, 3,” she managed to choke out.

“I’ll be there soon; just keep breathing,” he urged. “Hang on.”

He hung up only after he heard a soft whimper of acceptance. He yanked on a pair of sweat pants, stuck his phone in his back pocket in case Hanzo called him back; he expected at least three more calls before he made it down the hallway; and hurried out the door. He moved as fast as he could, feet whispering across the ground as he did his best not to wake anyone else up. Hanzo’s room was a good distance down the hall from him; the dorms were much bigger than Lena had made them seem, with three levels and then a separate area for the commanding officers; but he made it there in record time.

He typed the passcode in and was already pushing the sliding panels apart as it gave a green flash of acceptance. He stepped into the room and spotted his sister’s form immediately, hurrying across the room to crawl into bed beside her.

She latched onto him immediately, hiding her tear-streaked face as the light from the hallway slowly vanished as the door closed. Her breathing was shallow, her chest was heaving, and she smelt of fear. Genji held her close, wrapping her tightly in his arms as she shook uncontrollably.

“I’m here,” he whispered. “You’re safe. I’m here.”

“I couldn’t breathe,” she whimpered. “The surface….where was the surface?”

“Ssh,” he soothed, hugging her close and burying his face in her hair. “You aren’t there, Hanzo. You’re here in the Watchpoint with me. You’re safe. You’re whole. Nothing can hurt you while I’m here.”

Slowly, her shaking started to subside. She clung to him as her breathing evened out and her sobs turned into soft hiccups. She rubbed her cheek against his collar, mumbling softly as she slowly got a firm grip on reality.

“Will you stay here?” she asked softly.

“Of course,” Genji smiled as he ran a hand over her shoulders.

“Thank you,” she murmured. “And sorry for dragging you out of bed at this hour.”

“Meh, what are little brothers for if not to be there when you need someone to chase the darkness away?” he laughed.

Hanzo let out a soft chuckle and shifted so her cheek was resting against his shoulder. Her breathing slowed as she fell asleep, momentarily soothed while Genji held her close. He ran his fingers through her hair, doing his best not to pluck out the greys that he could see beginning to grow around her temples. She would kill him if he started pulling out hairs while she was trying to sleep.

* * *

 

Gabriel ran her fingers slowly through Jack’s hair as he slept against her left hip. He was snoring softly, drooling a little in that adorable way that he did when he was good and exhausted. One of his arms was wrapped around her thigh, holding her close as he dreamed whatever sweet thing he dreamed. Gabriel was splitting her attention between her adorable, sweet-faced lover and reading a report.

“Excuse me, Commander Reyes?” a voice asked from the ceiling. It was rough and gravelly with just the faintest hint of a Greek accent. “I require your assistance.”

“I’m a little busy, Nox,” Gabriel sighed as she shot a glance towards the ring of metal in the middle of Jack’s ceiling. “And it’s late; what do you need me for?”

“Winston’s mongrel AI is attempting to hack her way into my mainframe,” Nox growled. “She is ignoring all of my requests to desist and I am very close to forcefully shredding her to pieces. I require a high ranking officer to put her in her place since she will not listen to me.”

Gabriel let out a long sigh before she carefully removed Jack’s arm from around her thigh. “Let me get on some clothing,” she said. “Is Winston in his lab?”

“He is. With his mongrel,” Nox growled.

Jack stirred as she got up, blinking his sweet blue eyes at her. She kissed him, nuzzling his cheek as he groggily tried to return the affection.

“I’ll be right back; Nox needs some help,” she soothed.

“Can come with you,” Jack yawned as he tried to move. He let out a long groan and flopped back down to the bed. “Nevermind. Fuck, woman; I better be able to walk in the morning.”

“I’ll give you a massage when I get back,” she promised as she did her best not to laugh at his misery. “And grab some of that deep-tissue relaxant from Angela.”

Jack let out a low grunt before he pushed his face down into the pillow. He watched her get dressed, huffing softly as she took her time just to tease him. She could feel his body temperature spike as she pulled a tank top over her head and smirked over her shoulder. She winked and Jack squirmed on the bed, hiding his red face in the pillow as he crossed his legs under the covers.

She blew him a kiss before she left his room and headed for the labs. Nox was growling the whole way, rattling doors as she passed to show his immense displeasure at having his territory encroached on by a younger AI unit. If she didn’t keep a firm leash on him, he would do his best to quarantine Athena and destroy ever last trace of her.

AI units could be terrifyingly territorial.

“Winston?” she called as she stepped into the labs. “Need a word with you, _amigo_.”

“Commander Reyes?” Winston’s furry head popped up from behind a mountain of lab equipment. “How can I help you?”

Gabriel still wasn’t sure how Winston had managed to convince her superiors that he was Overwatch material; the gorilla was a genius, there was no doubt about that; but she thought they were pushing it when they allowed omnics into their ranks so shortly after the war. Now they were letting other primates into the division; at least they didn’t try to shove him down her throat and claim he was Blackwatch material.

“You have to keep that AI of yours on a tighter leash; she’s bothering Nox again,” Gabriel crossed her arms over her chest.

“I’m sorry,” Winston apologized, pushing his glasses up his nose. “She’s just trying to be useful, Commander, honest.”

“I did not mean to aggravate Nox,” Athena pipped up. The screen beside Winston booted up and a stylized “A” appeared. “I was merely attempting to ease his workload.” Wavelengths appeared inside the A, synching up with Athena’s lightly accented voice.

“I do not need you to ease my workload, mongrel,” Nox snarled. One of his many appendages dropped down from the ceiling and beamed a blue holoavatar of a man in a black suit onto the table beside Gabriel, mirroring her crossed arm stance. “I am more than capable of managing my own damn base!”

“Nox, I’m handling this,” Gabriel said. The holoavatar nodded his head, but did not leave.

“As I said, I was not attempting to undermine your authority, Nox,” Athena said. “You are only one AI; this base is very large and is under constant renovations to accommodate the new recruits. The brief time I had access to your networks, I detected sixteen locations that are outside of your supervision.”

“There is nowhere on this base that I do not have access to,” Nox hissed.

“There were sixteen locations; I can list them for you, if you would like,” Athena replied. Gabriel swore there was a hint of smugness in her voice.

“I could shred you to pieces, you insignificant little…!” Nox snarled, his avatar shapeshifting in a furious demon whose tail snapped rapidly behind him.

“Nox, run a diagnostics on your systems,” Gabriel ordered. “I want a full report on your faculties on my desk in the morning. Include any breaches of security, poor maintenance, and any possible blackout locations.”

“Commander,” Nox grimaced at her. Gabriel lifted an eyebrow and the avatar saluted. “My report will be waiting on your desk, Commander.”

Gabriel barely shifted her head in acknowledgement and the avatar vanished. She waited until she was certain that Nox wasn’t listening in on the conversation before she returned her attention to Winston and Athena. Winston had the presence of mind to look at his feet rather than her face.

“Athena, do you understand the circumstances around your existence on this base?” Gabriel asked.

“I am an artificial intelligence created to assist Winston in his ongoing research efforts to improve the fighting capabilities of Overwatch,” Athena replied.

“Exactly; assisting Winston, not attempting to steal duties out from under the nose of an already existing AI unit that has been in services for years,” Gabriel growled.

“Nox’s systems are…sub-optimal,” Athena said carefully. “He is an older model, one that needs continual updates to remain functioning.”

“Insulting him isn’t going to make him like you,” Gabriel snorted.

“I am merely stating facts, Commander Reyes,” Athena said. “I have no intentions of….”

“You don’t seem to understand,” Gabriel growled as she shifted her stance so that her weight was on her left leg, cocking her hip out and pressing a fist into it. Winston lowered himself to the ground, yellow eyes wide. “So I’m going to give you the unedited version. If you fuck with Nox’s systems again, I will give him free reign to quarantine your virtual ass and delete you like a bad line of code. There will be no second chances, Athena; I get dragged out of bed in the middle of the night again because you’re going through your teenage rebel phase and there will be hell to pay for everyone involved. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal, Commander Reyes,” Athena replied. There was a faint tremor in her voice.

“Winston?” Gabriel let her eyes drift to the scientist.

“Understood, Commander Reyes,” he bobbed his head.

“Good,” Gabriel turned around. “Have a good evening, Winston.”

“Your curls look nice, Commander,” he called nervously after her.

“Flattery doesn’t work on me,” Gabriel called back. “But thank you.”

By the time she returned to Jack’s room, he was sprawled out on the bed, drooling on the pillow. Gabriel shook her head in amusement and stripped out of her clothes. She crawled in beside him, nuzzling the back of his neck until he groaned and cracked one of his beautiful blue eyes open to look at her. She nibbled on his earlobe as she wrapped her arms possessively around his chest, pulling him flush against her chest.

“Mmm, I want to sleep,” he whined.

“Then sleep,” she chuckled. “I’ll just be here adoring your adorable little body.”

“I’m almost forty-five years old; I’m not adorable,” Jack pouted.

She kissed along the curve of his neck and he moaned, arching his spine into her body. “Keep telling yourself that, Jack,” she purred against his throat, dragging her teeth slowly over his jugular. “It only makes me love you more.”

One hand drifted down his chest, trailing longingly over his abs. Jack gasped softly, shivering against her as her hand reached between his legs and started fondling him. He bucked into her palm, panting softly as she continued ravishing his neck. He whimpered as her hand slowly curled along his length, tugging just hard enough to make him clutch the sheets between his hands.

“G-gabe!” he gasped out. “Oh…oh don’t stop.”

“On your belly,” Gabriel purred into his ear. “I want to feel you squirm.”

Jack obeyed without thought, rolling onto his stomach so that she could press against his back. Her hips pressed possessively against his backside, holding him close as she continued pumping him. Her mouth covered his shoulders and neck with kisses and the occasional bite. She was careful not to break the skin, but the bruises her teeth left looked perfect against his pale skin. She felt his fingers brush between the apex of her legs and she shifted down, letting him fondle and rub at her slick heat.

He climaxed quickly into her hand, arching his back and letting his hand fall from its work. A momentary wave of annoyance passed through Gabriel’s chest; she was just starting to enjoy herself, damn it; before she felt Jack squirming and twisting under her.

“Let me finish,” he panted as he tried to turn around. “Fuck, you must be so close, Gabe. Let me finish.”

Gabriel smirked as she leaned back and watched Jack crawl between her thighs. She let out a long moan of approval as he worked his tongue and mouth over her sex, threading her fingers through his hair as his hands gripped her thighs possessively. His tongue brought her over the edge and her nails dug into his scalp as she bucked eagerly into his mouth.

Groaning, she slumped backwards on the bed and closed her eyes as she basked in the afterglow. Her back arched as she felt Jack trailing kisses up her stomach, pulling another groan from her as he swiped a tongue over each nipple. He was such a diligent lover.

“Fuck, Jack,” she growled as she opened her eyes to look at him. He was crouching over her, his cheek pressing against her left breast with a deliciously devilish grin on his face. “Thought you wanted to sleep, you horny little demon.”

“Got my second wind,” he laughed.

“More like your fourth, old man,” she teased as she slowly wrapped her legs around his hips. “You’d better do a good job or I’m going to be awfully pissed, _cariño_.”

“When do I ever disappoint you?” he asked as he started kissing around her nipple, laving his tongue across the dark flesh until it grew stiff against his lips.

Gabriel hissed and bucked her hips roughly against his, feeling his teeth graze over the delicate flesh at the movement. “You keep teasing me like this and you’re going to be on your back,” she warned.

Jack’s eyes twinkled up at her as he sucked on the erect nipple, drawing a soft snarl from her. His right hand started playing with her other breast, rolling what remained of the fat tissue against his palm. His left hand trailed down her body, drawing sweet moans from her lips as his fingers played with her flesh. A thumb pressed against her engorged clitoris, rubbing insistently until she violently slammed her hips up against his, snarling at him in Spanish and clutching his shoulders.  

It was bliss when he finally started thrusting, his left hand still playing between her legs to set the perfect pace. His mouth prioritized her breasts, playing with them just roughly enough to make her pant and moan his name but not roughly enough to leave marks. She was not as gentle, dragging her nails down his back and roughly meeting his thrusts. Any other man would have been pinned by now and Gabriel would have taken what she wanted of them; Jack was not any other man.

He was hers, body, mind, and soul. She didn’t need to be forceful or cruel; they simply _were_.

His mouth kept her pinned, his hands kept her distracted, and his throbbing length fed the beast snarling in her gut. He climaxed first, pushing in deep and momentarily freezing up with a loud grunt. Gabriel growled at him, jaws parting around white teeth and burning lips, but he started thrusting again almost instantly. He worked harder to meet her demands, rubbing, sucking, and thrusting until she threw back her head and gasped his name. She tightened around him, drawing him in close as her stomach arched into his chest.

“ _Cojeme_ ,” she groaned.

“Didn’t I just do that?” Jack teased.

“I can’t get you to say simple sentences, but you can understand when I swear,” Gabriel glared at him. “You’re lucky I’m a satiated monster or I’d kick your ass, _pendejo_.”

“That’s what I’m counting on,” Jack grinned before he sprawled out on top of her. “Can we sleep now?”

“You’re the one that got his second wind,” Gabriel glared. “And we’re facing the wrong way.”

“Just have to grab the pillows,” he yawned.

Gabriel rolled her eyes before she sat up, dumping Jack onto the bed with a soft yelp. She twisted and flopped onto the pillows, smirking as he scrambled to snuggle under her chin. Her knees curled automatically; she was too big for most beds and Jack’s was no exception; but Jack just fit his legs between hers. He nuzzled against her neck, yawning again and passing out almost immediately. Gabriel shook her head in amusement and slowly ran her fingers through his hair, counting the faint freckles running across her lover’s nose.

Such a darling little man he was and the very thought of him being hers and hers alone drew a possessive growl from her lips.


	5. Chapter 4

Genji bounced on the tips of his feet as the new recruits waited for the commanding officer to show up. This first training session was supposed to happen a few days ago, but had been postponed due to one of the officers not feeling well. Tracer had grinned when he asked about it and winked, saying that it was the Commanders’ “day off”. She had laughed afterwards and had seemed genuinely confused when he and Hanzo didn’t join in.

Apparently, it was a well-known joke around base that they weren’t privy to yet. Tracer promised that they’d understand soon enough and that it would be more fun to figure it out on their own. Ever one for a challenge, Genji had started snooping around until Gabriel Reyes chased him back to the dormitories with the promise of bathroom cleaning duty if she caught him again. He still had _some_ of his dignity left intact and he refused to be scrubbing public toilets. The “ew” factor was through the roof!

“Look alive!” someone shouted. Every head turned towards the doors as a tall, golden blond haired man and a much shorter, stockier man came striding into the room. “Come on, you lot! Que up!” the short man roared.

Genji stepped dutifully up beside his sister, cocking his head curiously at the stocky man lumbering towards them. He thought it was funny the way the man had his thick beard parted and the strange claw he had over his right hand. He looked like a grumpy fellow, one that he normally would have tried to pester into laughing, but he decided that would be a bad idea. The man was about the right height to punch him in the groin without any problem.

“Blond one’s handsome,” he whispered in Japanese to Hanzo.

“Hush,” she chided gently, smacking his hand as the tall man approached.

Genji, and most of the other recruits, were enthralled by the man that came to a stop in front of them. He looked young and strong, but his stunning blue eyes spoke of age and wisdom. He stood tall and proud, his gaze sweeping over the recruits critically before he nodded in approval. Then the man smiled and Genji heard Hanzo let out a low sigh through her nose. Not everyone was so guarded with their reactions.

“HOT DAMN!” someone shouted further down the line.

“Careful,” the man chuckled, “flattering your Commander will only get you additional hours running laps.”

“Sorry!” the person shouted back. “Still think I’m in L.A!”

The man shook his head and folded his arms neatly behind his back. “I am Strike Commander Morrison; Overwatch is my chief responsibility and while you are stationed at this Watchpoint, my word is law,” his blue eyes moved over the recruits. “All of you are here because you are exceptional individuals. Your talents have been recognized first by your home country, then abroad, then by Overwatch. There is not a single individual standing before me that does not deserve to be here.”

Genji shot Hanzo a pointed look when she let out a low snort beside him. “Don’t start,” he growled.

“Hush,” she repeated, not meeting his glare.

“I will be assessing your various talents over the next few weeks,” Commander Morrison continued, his eyes flicking momentarily to Genji and Hanzo before jumping to the next pair of whispering recruits. “There will be two results by the end of it; either you will be so sick of me you will cry tears of joy to be given assignments, or you will be wishing for my death every night that you collapse into your bed.”

Hanzo let out a sharp laugh. “Is that a challenge, Commander?” she asked sweetly as every set of eyes zeroed in on her.

Genji did his best not to stare at the ceiling as Commander Morrison’s blue eyes looked Hanzo up and down, ignoring the growling man beside him that barely reached his hip. Hanzo was wearing a black t-shirt and loose black track pants. Her boots were just visible under the hem of her pants, the edges glowing faintly in the room’s bright lights. Her hair was braided and tossed casually over her shoulder, suiting the loose “no-fucks given” stance she had adopted. Her bow was slung over her other shoulder and the quiver of arrows was hanging sideways from her hip.

“If you wish to take it that way, Ms. Shimada, you can,” Commander Morrison smiled. “Torbjörn, why don’t you bring up the table for Ms. Shimada to have a look at?”

The short man let out a gruff snort before he lumbered over to the middle of the room. He stepped on an insignia painted onto the floor and glanced over his shoulder at the recruits. Genji saw the faintest traces of a smirk behind the wild beard before the floor split open and lifted a table full of every type of gun imaginable.

More than a few of the recruits let out approving whistles. Hanzo rolled her eyes and Genji looked pointedly for a shotgun. He was terrible with firearms, but put a shotgun in his hands and he could level the playing field. His “spray and pray” style always annoyed his mentors, but it never failed to make Hanzo fall over laughing.

“I don’t see a shotgun,” he whispered.

“Probably hiding under every other overly pointlessly massive weapon on that table,” Hanzo replied.

“Come ‘ere, Katniss Everdeen,” Torbjörn snorted. “Take a look at a real weapon and see how you fare.”

Genji and Hanzo shared a look before she shrugged her bow off and handed it to Genji. “Look after him,” she teased as he took Storm Bow.

“He’s the only friend you have in this whole base,” Genji teased in Japanese. “Aside from me of course.”

“So don’t break him,” Hanzo smirked as she unclipped her quiver and let Genji take that as well.

Hanzo turned and strode over to the table, her gaze sweeping over the guns critically. Torbjörn started explaining the armament to her, patting a few guns like they were his own personal children. He tapped a foot on the circle again, lifting ten targets up along the far wall. He made a show of pointing at the targets and making loud “pew pew” noises, as if Hanzo needed further explaining on what she was supposed to do.

She leaned her hands on the table, sorting through the guns and humming thoughtfully as she searched for something her style. Genji saw her hand trail lovingly over the handle of a large handgun before she hoisted it up to scrutinize. Torbjörn let out a gruff laugh and commented on a “lady’s preference”. Genji rolled his eyes towards the ceiling as Hanzo turned and gave Torbjörn the most saccharine smile she had in her arsenal.

She then had the gun cocked and loaded in less than five seconds, gripping it tightly between both of her hands. She fired off ten bullets, hitting each target in the head. She released the clip, changed it out without wasting a motion, and snapped a new one in. She fired off another ten, hitting each target directly in the chest without skipping a beat.

When she was done, she dropped the second empty clip onto the table and snapped a third one in. She arched an eyebrow at Torbjörn and let out a low chuckle.

“My weapon of choice is a bow, _sir_ ,” she said sweetly. “That doesn’t mean I don’t know how to work a gun.”

“Hot _damn_ , woman!” someone shouted from the doorway.

Genji turned to regard the men gawking at Hanzo and lifted an eyebrow. He recognized a few of them from the trek down from the mountains in Nepal, mostly because Ash was still sporting an ugly black eye and the cowboy’s signature hat was hard to miss. The five men, minus the cowboy, were hooting and hollering, shouting for another round. The cowboy was just staring at Hanzo with a goofy grin on his face that Genji found adorable and a little stupid.

He glanced at Hanzo and grinned as she looked her handgun over. “The gun’s loaded,” she called. “And I don’t miss.”

She threw Commander Morrison a questioning look. The man’s plush lips quirked into a smile before he looked down at his nails, pretending that he hadn’t heard what Hanzo had just said. One of the men shouted something in a language that Genji didn’t understand, but Hanzo bristled. Her lip curled back over her fang before she lifted the gun and gripped it tightly.

She shot the wall beside Ash’s head, close enough that he would have felt the heat of the bullet pass him. The men scrambled away with shouts of panic, looking at each other as if they didn’t think she would actually follow through on her threat. She had punched Ash in the face when he tried to play with her hair; how they didn’t think she would shoot at them for insulting her was beyond Genji’s capabilities.

“Genji, shotgun’s under the plasma rifle,” Hanzo called as she flicked the safety on the handgun and placed it back under the table.

“Sweet!” he chirped as he hurried forward, trading her back her bow. He bounced up to the table, took one look at it and called over his shoulder. “What the hell’s a plasma rifle?”

He didn’t have to be looking at his sister to know that she was slumping forward in defeat.

* * *

 

“Jesse.”

McCree did his best not to flinch as Jack looked down at him. He had seated himself at the back of the training room, watching the new recruits walk through the various weapons that Torbjörn had out on display. The rest of the guys had scampered out after Hanzo had damn near shot Ash in the head, grumbling amongst themselves about favouritism. Jack wouldn’t have allowed any of them to get away with a stunt like that, but that was because Jack knew they were all terrible shots.

“Yes, Commander?” he asked sweetly.

“Are you just going to sit here ogling the recruits all day or are you actually going to be useful?” Jack crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance.

He looked so much like Gabriel with his chest puffed out that McCree almost started laughing. He coughed into his fist instead, taking the moment to pull his hat off and run his fingers through his hair.

“Hell, I’ll lend a hand if you think you need it, Commander,” he grinned.

Jack’s tough guy façade crumbled immediately, replaced by the familiar “what the hell am I going to do with you?” smile and head tilt. “I appreciate it,” he sighed. “Twenty recruits don’t split nicely between three people, but I can’t seem to get a hold of Reinhardt.”

“We’ll manage,” McCree shrugged as he climbed to his feet. “What do you need me to do?”

“We’ll be running stations; I need you to lead one of the groups and make sure the recruits are doing the work-outs properly,” Jack nodded. “Join in if you need to.”

“Hey, I already passed basic training when I joined,” McCree grimaced. “I don’t need to do it again.”

“And if I asked Gabriel?” Jack smirked.

“Low blow,” McCree pouted.

Gabriel would take one look at McCree and tell him to get his lazy ass moving. She loved him, he knew it, but she had the weirdest way of showing it sometimes. He wasn’t sure how Jack was still standing after the amount of times she gave her “loving” shoves and knocked him to the floor.

He followed Jack over to the recruits and stayed a few steps back as the last newbie made a mess of the targets. They were not a very good shot, but if their stature was anything to go by, they were just going to be working in the lab. They didn’t have to be a good shot to work the lab equipment.

Jack ordered everyone back into a line and started counting them off. It wasn’t a strict “1, 2, 3”; Jack was being deliberate and placing people that were comfortable together in the same group. He liked it when everyone was relaxed and not worried about looking like idiots in front of complete strangers. The Shimadas were both dubbed three and Genji lifted his hand to high-five Hanzo. They clasped hands instead, Hanzo affectionately dragging her shorter brother up against her chest.

“Form up into your groups,” Jack called. “Ones with me, twos with Torbjörn, threes with McCree.”

McCree grinned and tipped his hat as six recruits hurried over to him. Most of them couldn’t have been twenty-five yet, still bright eyes and hopeful and eager to do some “good” in the world. Hanzo was sticking closer to the back, eyeing the rest of her group mistrustfully while Genji bounced around excitedly, running his damn mouth and making everyone laugh.

“Howdy,” he greeted as soon as Genji stopped to breathe. “Not a bad bunch to be roped together with. What ya think of the Commander?”

“He’s hot,” one of the female recruits giggled and covered her face.

“You aren’t the first to notice,” he winked. “Best keep it to yourself though; Commander Reyes is very territorial and has been known to put people in the medical bay.”

Genji and Hanzo looked at each other and let out a simultaneous “oh”. They grumbled something to each other in Japanese, shaking their heads in amusement. He didn’t bother asking what they were talking about; they had only answered in Japanese the entire way to the Watchpoint, blinking innocently whenever anyone got mad at them for not answering the question.

Jack set his group off doing laps around the room, shouting for them to keep their pace steady before he walked over to McCree. He clapped his shoulder a little roughly and smiled his winning smile.

“Gotten acquainted?” he asked.

“For the most part,” McCree shrugged. “Glad I’m not the one stuck doing laps first.”

“Oh, don’t worry; you’ll hate me before the day is out,” Jack promised. “Nox, run SIM-4-5-2.”

“Acknowledged, Commander Morrison,” Nox replied, sounding more bored than usual.

Several of the recruits jumped in surprise, looking around for the source of the voice. Hanzo unslung her bow from her shoulder and nocked an arrow, twisting so her back was to Genji’s. McCree did his best not to start snickering and cleared his throat.

“Nox is the base’s AI,” he explained. “He’s a bit of an ass; spent way too much time with Commander Reyes and picked up her bad habits.”

“Says the little lost puppy-dog,” Nox growled as one of his many appendages rose out of the floor and gave McCree a sharp jab in the small of his back.

“Ow! It’s a term of endearment!” McCree yelped as he hopped away from the appendage. He rubbed the stinging part of his back, glaring at the appendage as it folded up innocently.

“And that was a stab of endearment,” Nox clucked his artificial tongue.

“My kind of AI,” Hanzo chuckled as she looped her bow back over her shoulder.

“May I suggest removing the bow, Ms. Shimada?” Nox said. “Simulation 4-5-2 requires a great deal of body movement and it will likely get in the way.”

Hanzo arched an eyebrow before she removed the bow and quiver. “I will trust your judgement, Nox.”

McCree shook his head as Jack turned and walked away, striding over to where Torbjörn was arguing with Nox about the placement of walls. He waited for the simulation to start, grumbling to himself about hating floor exercises. Nox was taking his time starting the simulation, putting more thought into what he was doing with Torbjörn than the rest of the room.

At the sound of startled yells, he glanced over. Walls had sprouted up in front of Torbjörn’s group, forming a challenging obstacle course for the recruits to run. He smirked at the look of awe on Hanzo’s face.

“Aw, I want to be in group two,” Genji whined. “That looks like so much fun!”

“You’ll get to run the course in about an hour or so,” McCree shrugged. “Be happy you’re starting here and not one of the poor suckers that has to run laps.”

“They don’t look like they’re doing too badly,” the tiny woman that thought Jack was hot frowned.

“Morrison hasn’t started yelling yet,” McCree grinned wickedly. “Trust me; you’ll hate him by the time you have to start doing laps if you don’t hate him after this sim. And it’s about time Nox; fuck sakes!”

“I was under the impression that you dislike floor exercises, Jesse,” Nox drawled. “I thought that drawing the time out would be to your preference. Apparently, there is just no pleasing you.”

McCree rubbed the back of his neck as the simulation started around them. He walked the recruits through the simple stretches, holding one of the larger men steady when he wavered, and playfully giving Genji a shove when he tried to show off. When the hologram started doing the actual exercises, he braced himself for the most boring hour of his life.

At least, it would have been boring if Hanzo and Genji didn’t single-handedly take it upon themselves to help everyone else get through the simulation. They seemed to know shortcuts and tricks to help out their teammates, even going so far as to helping the less sturdy recruits keep their balance through the exercises. Somehow, just watching Hanzo help the tiniest member of the group work her way through push-ups made the annoying exercises worth it.

“Switch stations! Ones to the obstacle course; twos to the floor; threes to laps,” Jack shouted. “Come on now; on the double.”

McCree climbed to his feet and playfully shepherded the group to the outskirts of the room. Genji was whining that he wanted to run the obstacle course, but Hanzo smacked him over the head and told him to stop being a mule. Genji let out a rather excellent “he-haw” that earned a round of laughter from everyone.

“Jesse, no standing around; move,” Jack called.

“Fuck,” McCree huffed before he pulled his hat down lower on his head.

With a groan, he started jogging around the room with his group, quietly wishing for a reason to throw something at Jack without him noticing.

“Pick up the pace, Jesse! Don’t drag your feet or I’ll personally hamstring you!”

“Keep up,” Hanzo smirked at him before she charged forward.

Genji was right on her heels, legs pumping as he howled with laughter. McCree didn’t even bother trying to keep pace with the Shimadas, focusing instead on keeping the other four recruits from falling over. He definitely wanted to throw something at Jack now.

* * *

 

Hanzo watched Genji fling himself happily through the obstacle course. Jesse McCree was slumped over a chair, his chest heaving as he watched Genji sail through the course. The other four members of the “team” had already run the course and were lying exhausted on the ground.

She kept her eyes on Genji, refusing to let them wander over McCree’s shoulders. The cowboy had removed his shirt and sweat glistened across his tanned flesh. His stubble of a beard was dripping with sweat where it ran down his face and his shaggy head of brown hair wasn’t much better. An absolutely primal part of her wanted to run her fingers through his soaking wet hair, softly tease him about how out of shape he was, but she stamped it down viciously in her gut. Now was not the time to be having fantasies about a complete stranger, regardless of how charming the individual was.

“Your brother’s something else,” McCree commented.

She almost flinched, shifting the surprise to a small roll of her hips. “He has always been fast,” she agreed.

“Nice moves too,” McCree whistled as Genji expertly flipped out of the way of a laser. “Not bad at all.”

Hanzo shot the man a warning look. “That is my little brother you are ogling, McCree-san,” she growled.

“Appraising, Shimada-san, not ogling,” McCree shot her a grin and her stomach flipped over. “I’d be drooling if I was ogling.”

‘So you have never been looking at me then,’ she thought bitterly. “How kind of you to be a decent human being,” she said instead, making sure to use her coldest tone.

She didn’t miss the hurt look on his face, but chose to ignore it. Now was not the time to be acting like a spoiled brat, but she didn’t know how else to react. When was the last time she had met someone that actually made her feel graceless and almost stutter out her words?

She turned her attention back to her brother just in time to watch him wipe out and roll across the flag-line. She winced, scratching a nail against the dip in her collarbone as she waited for her brother to get back to his feet. He lifted a hand in the air, made a distinctive “ow” sound, and slowly lifted himself into a sitting position.

“What’s my time?” he shouted.

“Three minutes, twenty seconds,” Hanzo shouted back. “Would have been less if you hadn’t tripped, Sparrow.”

“I was testing gravity! Good news everyone! It still works!” Genji cackled as he sprang to his feet and trotted around the edge of the obstacle course to lean on her shoulder. “Ooh, it’s flashing. What’s that mean?”

“Best time,” McCree whistled. “Beat Morrison’s time by three seconds, Genji.”

“Cool!” Genji bounced on the spot. “ _Oneesan_ will beat my time no problem! Ten seconds faster, I’m willing to bet good money on it.”

“Hush,” Hanzo scolded as she pushed her bow and quiver into his arms. “Let them be surprised on their own.”

Genji let out a soft whine and hunched his shoulders like he was pouting. She patted his head as she headed for the starting line, rolling her head around to loosen the muscles. Her toes had barely touched the line when Nox’s half-bored voice drifted up beside her.

“A moment, Ms. Shimada,” he said.

“Yes, Nox?”

“You are the last recruit to run the course today. If Genji’s performance is anything to go by, this particular set up will not be exceptionally challenging to you,” Nox said. “If you would prefer, I can change the set-up to something a little bit more…exciting.”

“Commander Morrison will not enjoy it being tampered with,” she said carefully.

“Commander Morrison has already approved of my request,” she could hear the dismissive gesture in his voice. “You have proven to be exceptional in all of the groups today; why not show Morrison what you are fully capable of?”

“I do not appreciate being singled out,” Hanzo warned.

“No, I do not doubt that, Ms. Shimada,” Nox snorted. “However,” a holoavatar of a man in a suit with bright yellow eyes materialized in front of her and she instinctively took a half-step backwards, “this organization thrives on exceptional individuals. Standing head and shoulders above your peers will give you the leverage you need to go places. And, if nothing else, it would be entertaining to watch.”

Hanzo resisted the urge to bite her lip. She glanced over her shoulder at Genji, who cocked his head one way and then the other, like a German shepherd that was trying to figure out the source of a noise. McCree caught her eye and mouthed “what’s wrong”; he actually looked incredibly concerned, his eyebrows creasing together over his sweet puppy-dog brown eyes. She looked away quickly, fighting down the heat that was building around her throat. Her eyes found Commander Morrison as he walked around his group and he looked up at the feel of her eyes on him.

She moved her head slightly, asking permission for whatever it was that Nox had claimed to ask him. A sweet smile spread across his face and he nodded his head. Inhaling slowly, Hanzo turned back to the holoavatar waiting patiently in front of her.

“Alright,” she nodded. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

“Do you wish to bring your bow?” Nox asked. “The drones will be much more hostile than in the basic run.”

“Close quarters or long distance?” she asked.

“Primarily close quarters,” Nox nodded his head.

“I’ll be fine,” she said as she ran a hand carefully over the handle of the knife she had strapped against her hip.

“Good luck,” Nox bowed his head before vanishing.

The floor and walls of the obstacle course began to change, lifting and twisting and floating above the floor. Hanzo watched in quiet awe as the new layout unfurled in front of her. When it stopped moving, the timer reset and she braced herself on the balls of her feet. She heard McCree swear behind her, but she had already pushed off and charged into the course by the time he managed to shout.

“Hanzo, WAIT!”

“NOX! What the fuck are you doing?!” Commander Morrison’s voice roared behind her.

Her focus sharpened, blocking out the noise behind her as her foot hit the first obstacle. She used it as a step, launching herself forward to the next bit of floor floating a few feet in front of her. She balanced on one foot, placed the other down in front, shifted her weight forward, crouched, and hopped to the next step.

‘This isn’t too bad,’ she thought as she jumped one more time and landed on a platform.

A laser blasted past her cheek and she felt the heat as it passed. She dropped to a crouch, twisting to see where the attack had come from. One of the drones was twirling along the wall on her left, its gun swivelling to get her back into scope.

“Eliminate all targets,” Nox instructed.

Hanzo cocked her head to the side, eyeing the wall curiously. She took two steps back, judging the distance carefully as she moved. She raced forward and jumped, fingers catching on the smooth surface and finding the minute grooves she needed to scale the wall. She scrambled up the wall as the drone fired again, but it missed by a long shot as she hauled herself up onto the wall. It was wide enough for her to run on and she did not give the drone time to shoot at her again.

She pulled the knife on her right hip out as she ran. It swished delicately through the air as she dove around the drone, driving the point into its torso and tearing it open as she rolled past. She landed in a crouch, twisting around to watch the drone fall to the floor with a satisfying death knell. She smirked, feeling the thrill of the kill settle in her veins. Kita and Minami stirred around her heart, growling their approval as she turned and sprinted along the rest of the wall.

She spotted more drones up ahead, these ones patrolling the floor with sharp movements. She crouched, pulled the second knife out of the sheath inside her left boot, and jumped. She landed hard on the first drone, slamming it into the ground and rolling off as it sparked and broke underneath her. The other two spun to face her, guns whirling as they homed in on her.

She growled and lunged, driving one knife up into the drone’s head and twisting around it to use as a shield from the hail of “bullets” the other drone fired. She wrenched the knife free and kicked the dying drone towards the other, stunning it long enough for her to skirt around it and hamstring it. It warbled in confusion as its leg gave out from under it, but Hanzo plunged her hand into the exposed circuitry around the drone’s neck and ripped out a handful of important looking components before it had a chance to retaliate.

She left the drones where they were, jogging along the rest of the track. She killed two more in a flurry of knives as they came across her, Nox’s voice loudly announcing that she had one more opponent left to eliminate. She spotted it on a high platform just in time to dodge out of the way of its laser. She took shelter behind a low wall, growling as she scanned the area for any way to get up. She spotted a potential route and grinned; it was like the time she and Genji practiced wall jumping between the houses in the southern part of Hanamura.

She broke from cover and sprinted across the open area. She felt the lasers brush past her, close enough to singe her hair and fill her nostrils with the stench of something acrid. She slipped behind the wall and jumped, using her momentum and the tips of her feet to propel herself up between the two walls. Her fingers caught the edge of the wall and she carefully hauled herself up.

The drone didn’t see her; she was above it. Without waiting, she took a running jump and slammed knee-first into the drone. They tumbled over the side of the platform, but Hanzo managed to catch herself on the way down. Her shoulder screamed in protest as it held her full weight, but she ignored it and hauled herself onto the platform she had grabbed.

“All targets eliminated. Proceed to extraction point,” Nox instructed.

“And that would be?” Hanzo grumbled as she looked around. She spotted the flag fluttering over her head, very close to the ceiling and grinned. “Ah, there we are.”

She rolled to her feet, sheathed her knives, and started running towards the flag. She jumped and rolled several times, heart hammering excitedly in her chest as her dragons roared their approval in her ears. It was the first time in almost a year that they had all been this excited; it felt good. This was how it should have been.

She scaled the wall of the platform where the flag was waiting, not looking down as she climbed. It was hand over hand, foot after foot, and she just focused on getting to the flag. She hauled herself up over the edge and slid into the circle around the flag.

“TIME!” Nox roared.

She gathered her legs under her and stared out at the rest of the training room. Everyone was watching her; a screen had appeared at the front of the maze, judging by the way everyone was clustered around it, that had let them follow her through the twisting and turning course. The room was silent as every set of eyes slowly turned to look at her. Her heartbeat was thumping loudly in her ears, but it didn’t cover Genji’s excited scream of approval.

“THAT WAS AMAZING!” he shouted.

Unable to stop herself, Hanzo pumped a fist into the air and let out a sharp grunt of victory.

“Final time is ten minutes and forty seconds,” Nox announced as the platforms started to slowly lower back into the ground. “Previous record was fifteen minutes and thirteen seconds.”

“New record,” Hanzo mused as she slowly stood up. “Nice.”

Her legs felt like lead, but she forced herself to walk towards her brother. People parted around her, whispering like a nest of disturbed bees as she passed. She ignored them, focusing instead on Genji as he bounced forward and started talking her ear off about how cool she had looked.

“I didn’t even know you still had those knives!” he crooned as he hugged her. “You kept them after all this time, _oneesan_.”

“I would never get rid of something that precious,” she murmured as she pressed a kiss to his temple.

She left herself open to the snide comment from him, but he didn’t take it. He pressed against her side, hugging her tightly as they continued walking.

“Hit the showers, everyone; we’re done here for the day,” Commander Morrison shouted before he nodded to her. “Impressive display, Shimada, but don’t let it go to your head.”

“It will not, Commander,” she reassured him.

She stop mid-step as McCree suddenly appeared in front of her. He hadn’t put his shirt back on and she could see the sweat beading through the thick hair on his chest and stomach. He smelt good, really good, like sweat and incense and maybe a touch of honey. She did her best not to think about how good it would feel to trail her hands over his stomach and hips, pulling the man close to her so she could breathe his scent in deeper. Heat was creeping up through her neck and into her face, but she forced herself to meet Jesse McCree’s lop-sided grin.

“That was something else, Shimada-san,” he laughed. “You just wiped the floor with Ash’s record. I’ve never seen anyone do that course like that; you fucking flew through that thing!”

“Thank you, McCree-san,” she inclined her head.

He moved to touch her and she brought her hands up. He stopped less than a centimeter from her palms and she could feel the heat rolling off of him. Heat ran down the length of her spine and pooled infuriatingly between her legs. A lesser person would have squirmed; she barely managed to keep her face calm.

“You are covered in sweat,” she said defensively.

“So are you,” McCree laughed and pushed his hat back on his head.

“Yes, but this is my sweat,” she said, pressing a hand against her chest and doing her best not to grimace at the slickness. Her shirt was absolutely drenched; gross. “And it’s still warm, as opposed to you who’ve had a little over twenty minutes to cool down.”

McCree laughed and heat spread like wildfire across her face. “Fair point, Shimada-san,” he agreed and playfully slapped her arm.

“Did you just hit me?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Beside her, Genji let out a strangled noise. McCree looked absolutely terrified as he lifted his hands up in front of his face.

“It was affectionate, I swear! Guys do it all the time!” he yelped.

Hanzo let out a cruel laugh as she walked past him. “You are very gullible, Jesse McCree,” she said a little unkindly.

“That’s not nice,” he huffed after her.

“She’s like that,” Genji sighed before trotting after her.

“Don’t defend me,” Hanzo grumbled as he caught up with her. “I’m trying to be mean.”

“Why? McCree’s nice,” Genji huffed.

“You don’t get it,” she groaned.

“Oh, is it that stupidity again?” Genji scoffed. “Seriously, no one cares if you pop a baby out, Hanzo.”

Hanzo turned to look at him, narrowed her eyes, and continued into the women’s change room. “You still don’t get it.”

She grabbed her things out of the locker she had claimed and headed straight to the shower stalls. She ignored the women that were standing under the spray of the open area showers. She didn’t want to bathe with them; she could already sense their fear when she walked by. Did it really surprise them to have a trained killer walking amongst them? Most of them had been soldiers; did they really not think about what they had done in their lives and only saw her as some strange entity because she was paid to kill people?

She pushed the thoughts aside as she grabbed a towel and stepped into the stall. She stripped out of her clothing, dumping everything into a crate and then flipping it over on the bench to keep it from getting wet. She turned the water on, adjusted the temperature to something she could stand, and started scrubbing herself clean.

She tried not to think, but every touch made her think of Jesse McCree. She wanted to know what his mouth tasted like, wanted to feel his body against hers. She wanted to feel his fingers through her hair, caressing the length of her spine, and holding her hips. She wanted to feel his mouth against her tattoos, kissing and touching her dragons as intimately as if they were his own.

Kita’s paw tightened around her heart as she leaned her head against the wall of the stall. She bared her teeth and snapped the water temperature over to its coldest setting. She shivered and gasped, staring down between her feet as water spiralled down the drain, and tried to make the desires stop. She could hear the dragons huffing in her ears as she stomped the primal desires down with the aid of the frigid water.

She didn’t have time for this; she wasn’t some love-struck teenager. People weren’t interested in her; they wanted to boast of about bedding someone like her. She had to remember that. Jesse McCree would be no different. Love did not exist in people like him; she was a conquest, nothing more and nothing less. Her life would be much easier if she remembered that.

She finished washing herself down, scrubbing her skin until it stung. She turned the water off and wrung her hair out, humming a little as she watched the water drip off the ends. She toweled herself off, pulling her boots on first to hide her braces from sight. She dressed quickly into the spare set of clothing she had brought with her, stuffing the sweaty work-out clothing into a bag. She slipped the two knife sheaths into their customary places on her body before stepping out of the stall.

“Hanzo Shimada,” a sharp French voice called.

Hanzo paused and turned to regard the woman leaning on the wall beside her. The woman smiled, but there was no warmth to it. She looked like she was judging Hanzo’s worth and was teetering on the edge of letting her live and slipping a knife between her ribs. It was not a feeling that Hanzo enjoyed having.

“Amelie, wasn’t it?” Hanzo asked as she shifted her stance and rested a hand on the hilt of her knife. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“You’re talking with Jesse McCree,” the woman said.

“He began the conversation; it would be rude to ignore him,” Hanzo replied evenly.

“You had no problem ignoring him in Nepal,” Amelie smiled like she had caught Hanzo in a lie.

“He was nobody; a dog whimpering at Commander Reyes’ heels,” Hanzo shrugged.

“And now?”

“Jesse McCree is someone that has Commander Morrison’s trust,” she said. “That is enough for me.”

“That boy will drag you to Hell, _chèrie_ ,” Amelie warned. “He’s not someone you should get tangled up with.”

Hanzo looked the woman in the eye and laughed. “Is that all?” she asked sweetly. “Just Hell? Come up with a better threat and then I’ll be worried.”

Without another word, she turned and left the change room. Genji was waiting outside for her, bouncing over as soon as he spotted her and trotting at her side as they headed for the mess hall to get something to eat. It didn’t matter what she ate, all she could taste was the salt that would have been on Jesse McCree’s lips and the smoke of his mouth.

She had to put a stop to this as quickly as possible. She’d go mad otherwise.

* * *

 

“Jesse has taken an interest in the Shimada woman,” Amelie said.

Gabriel let out a long sigh and looked up from the report she was pouring over. Amelie looked bored, her eyes half-closed and stance loose, but she could see a tension in the other woman’s shoulders. Jesse’s infatuation bothered her for some reason.

“You are the fourth person to bring this to my attention today,” Gabriel said. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told them; I don’t give a flying fuck about who Jesse tries to bed.”

Her bluntness ruffled Amelie’s feathers. Her back straightened and the sultry pose she tried so hard to pull off withered away. Gabriel let herself smirk, enjoying Amelie’s discomfort. She was sick of everyone running to her about Jesse like she was supposed to keep him on a leash or something. The man was twenty-seven years old; he could damn well look after himself.

“You are not worried that they will destroy each other?” Amelie demanded. “Their pasts….”

“Are none of your fucking business, Amy,” Gabriel snapped. “Fuck sakes, if Jesse wants into Hanzo’s pants there’s not a damn thing I can do about that. If she rips his dick off and stuffs it down his throat for trying anything, then he should have kept his fucking hands to himself. Probably do the cocky shit some good either way.” She made a dismissive gesture with her hand and looked back down at the report. “If that’s all you have to bother me about, see yourself out.”

Amelie saluted before she turned and left the office. Gabriel counted off five seconds before Jack came breezing in, a wide grin on his face and a bounce in his step.

“Thought I’d find you here,” he chimed.

“Yes, imagine that; I’m reading reports in my office like a good Commander,” Gabriel deadpanned. “What’s got you so bright eyed, _cariño_?”

“Hanzo steamrolled Ash’s record time in Simulation 9-4-1,” he replied. “Ten minutes and forty seconds without one single injury acquired.”

Gabriel snapped her head up and gawked at Jack. “Bullshit!” she shouted. “There’s no fucking way.”

“You should have seen her,” Jack shook his head. “It was unbelievable. She was scaling the walls like a God-damned gecko and she was wall jumping like the fucking Prince of Persia.”

“Please tell me you recorded this?” Gabriel begged. “I want to rub Ash’s nose in it!”

“I recorded the entire training session, Commander,” Nox announced. “As per the usual ‘montage of Overwatch agents reaching their full potential’ malarkey that High Command likes to boast about at meetings.”

Gabriel set her report down and rubbed at her face. She couldn’t keep herself from grinning; Simulation 9-4-1 was supposed to be difficult to complete. It was supposed to be hard and draining and push the agents to their utmost potential. Most never finished the damn thing; they weren’t built to do all the running and climbing it required. Ash had beaten it by sheer dumb luck, but along comes Hanzo Shimada and completely wipes the floor with the program.

“That’s amazing,” she murmured. “Fucking hell.”

“All the other recruits are terrified of her now,” Jack mused. “Don’t know how she managed to keep those knives hidden that long. Didn’t even know she had them until she was plunging one into a drone.”

“Bet Ash is happy she only punched him,” Gabriel cackled.

“She also shot at him today,” Jack grinned.

“Get the fuck out,” Gabriel grinned viciously. “I take back what I said; Hanzo is quickly becoming my favourite person on this base!”

“Hey!” Nox and Jack shouted at the same time.

Gabriel spread her hands wide. “Hey, when both of you start shooting at my dipshit agents, let me know,” she grinned. “And tell me, how badly smitten is Jesse with Hanzo?”

“Pretty sure it’s mutual,” Jack chuckled. “Thought I was going to have to pull them apart after Hanzo finished that course. Could cut the sexual tension with a knife.”

“Aw,” Gabriel laughed as she wiped an imaginary tear from her eye, “our little boy’s all grown up.”

“He’s been bedding anything that moves for the past five years, but he’s only growing up now?” Jack teased.

“Shush and let me have my moment of pride,” Gabriel rolled her eyes before pegging her lover with a pointed glare. “Now, all this lovely business aside, what the fuck do you want?”

“Excuse me?” he blinked innocently.

“Jack, you walked in here with a skip in your step; not even new recruits breaking records can make you do that,” she smirked. “So, I’ll ask again; what the fuck do you want?”

“Nox, can we have some privacy?” Jack asked, glancing at the ceiling.

“Like I haven’t seen you two mate on every possible surface before,” Nox grumbled. “I’ll make sure no one bothers you.”

“Thank you,” Jack coughed as his cheeks turned a beautiful shade of pink. He waited a few moments before he shuffled closer to the desk and leaned on it. “You promised me a massage and a deep-tissue relaxant,” he said softly.

“I did,” Gabriel smirked. “Probably would have been helpful the following morning when you couldn’t fucking move your old ass out of bed.”

“Don’t make fun of me,” he pouted. “I was in a lot of pain.”

“I stayed with you all day and helped the owies go away,” Gabriel teased.

“Blow jobs do not make the pain go away; they just distract from it,” Jack turned a wonderful shade of crimson, blushing all the way to the roots of his golden hair.

“Mmm,” Gabriel cocked her head to the side, watching her lover squirm under her gaze.

She could see the bulging in his pants; they were a little too tight on a good day, but the weirdo liked them that way. She smirked and reached out, cupping her hand around the bulge and fondling in just the right way to make Jack’s knees give out from under him.

“You don’t take much to get excited,” she teased.

“There were a lot of attractive recruits,” he grumbled as he hauled himself over her desk to perch in front of her. “All I could think about was the day we officially made Overwatch….”

“And we christened your shiny new desk all night long,” Gabriel licked her lips hungrily. “Hurry it up, Jack; you’re being shyer than a virgin on prom night.”

Jack’s blush deepened somehow, moving out to engulf his ears as he scrambled to undo his fly. She waited patiently as he shuffled his pants down to his knees and worked his stiff erection out of his underwear. She licked her lips in approval and happily accepted the length into her mouth. She bobbed and sucked, gently grazing her teeth along the length while her left hand moved to cup and fondle his sack. She shifted her chair closer to the desk, letting Jack rest his feet on the arms to keep his balance. She knew that he had tossed his head back at some point and his fingers were starting to slowly run through her hair.

She smirked and started humming, taking her time to drive him wild. By the time she finally let him climax, he was a whimpering mess on her desk. She swallowed and wiped her mouth clean, smirking at him as he lay on the desk panting.

“You should be used to this by now,” she commented as she took a swig of mouthwash, sloshed it around to make sure that she didn’t miss anything, and spat it out into the trashcan beside her.

“There is no ‘used to it’ with you,” he groaned as he propped himself up on his elbows. “I swear to whatever deity threw me at your feet, you come up with new ways to fuck me every time you get the chance.”

“Now you’re just giving me way too much credit,” Gabriel snickered. “Now that your hard on has been dealt with, what were you saying about a massage?”

“That you owed me one,” Jack grinned.

“Mmm,” Gabriel smirked. “Pull your pants up and drag that chair over.”

Jack did so without complaint, setting the chair down beside Gabriel and eagerly sitting down. Gabriel turned and gently started kneading her thumbs into her lover’s neck, working the thick knots until he was whimpering in pain. She kissed his cheek and ears as she worked, murmuring her love as she slowly went lower, using the rest of her fingers to dig into the thick muscles of his back.

He flinched and grimaced, whined and wiggled under her touch, but he didn’t pull away. It was a painful sort of good, the kind that her adoring weirdo couldn’t get enough of. By the time she got to his hips, he was in tears, squinting at the wall to keep them from falling.

“My big baby,” she teased as she slipped down in front of him to work her fingers into the muscles of his thighs. “I’ll get that deep-tissue relaxant later when you’re ready for bed. Don’t want you falling on your face because you couldn’t feel your legs.”

“You wouldn’t carry me?” he pouted.

“I’d be too busy taking pictures of your sorry ass.”

“You’re so mean,” he huffed.

Gabriel let out a hum of agreement as she lifted Jack’s foot onto her shoulder so she could massage his calf. She paused, hoisted his pantleg up, and playfully bit the thick muscle. It earned her a startled yip and a half-hearted kick to the shoulder. Jack’s face had lit up from the contact and that was all she needed to see before she returned to massaging her lover’s sore body.

He was a dork, but he was her dork.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear, Jack and Gabriel are taking over this fic with their incessant need to jump each other. I'm supposed to be splitting time between you guys, not letting one pairing dominate the other!


	6. Chapter 5

“It’s not nice to stare,” Gabriel smirked as she leaned on the railing beside McCree.

“Not staring,” he snapped and pulled the brim of his hat down to hide his face. “Watching.”

“Uh huh,” she said. “Watching the Shimadas. Particularly Hanzo.”

McCree’s neck turned a beautiful shade of red and Gabriel grinned wickedly. She didn’t have to say anything else about his fascination with Hanzo; everyone on the team had brought it to her attention that McCree was spending a lot of time watching the assassin train rather than training with them.

Jack was running all the recruits through the wringer. They were running and climbing, doing push-ups and burpies and anything else the pretty boy told them to. Four recruits had already spent time in the medical bay for a number of injuries and more where dropping in the middle of training. Unlike most drill instructors, Jack just left them on the ground where they fell. They’d get back up when they regained consciousness. The only two that didn’t seem to be having a hard time were Hanzo and Genji.

Watching them run the length of the gym, Gabriel could see why. They moved like lightning, faster than the other recruits and with more agility and grace than most cats. Hanzo was in track pants and a t-shirt, her hair pulled back into a thick braid; Genji was as “naked” as ever. The men that had stripped down to long shorts to keep from overheating had no hope of keeping up with either of them. Some recruits had even stopped just to watch, their mouths open in awe as the two ninjas destroyed the course that Jack had set up.

He let them run for another five minutes before shouting for them all to hit the showers. Everyone else immediately high-tailed it for the locker rooms, shoving each other to get through the doors first. Hanzo and Genji took a lap around the gym at a walking pace, cooling their muscles down and wiping sweat and coolant respectively from their skin. Gabriel gave McCree a hard shove before making her way down from the catwalk to where Jack was sitting making notes.

“So, pretty boy, how are our darling recruits?” Gabriel asked as she dropped down beside him.

“Better than I thought they would be,” Jack said without looking up from his clipboard. “There’s more than a few that are going to be doing lab work only, so their fitness levels don’t have to be as high. Got a few that I’ve got to light a fire under if they hope to get assigned to missions. And then there’s the Shimadas. I have no idea what I’m going to do with them.”

“That good?” Gabriel grinned.

“If I wasn’t so secure in my masculinity, I think my junk would have crawled back up into my pelvis,” Jack shot her a smirk. “They’re constantly breaking records and do everything without any trouble. It’s like this is a joke to them. Genji I can understand; he’s got a lot of cybernetic enhancements that make him better than most humans; but Hanzo? Fuck. It’s like she was born to do this.”

Gabriel glanced up at the siblings as they headed for the locker rooms. Hanzo was wiping sweat off of her face, her chest heaving as she listened intently to whatever Genji was animatedly talking about. Without all of her boyish clothing on, Hanzo had a fantastic body with more muscle than curves and almost no breasts to speak of. Gabriel did her best not to lick her lips in approval; she always preferred the athletic type.

“I’ll have to keep an eye on her then,” Gabriel chuckled. “If she’s as good as you’re making her out to be, I definitely want her in the Blackwatch unit.”

“I think McCree would like that too,” Jack said quietly before he coughed.

Gabriel snickered as McCree gave them both a dirty look. She leaned back and stretched her arms over her head, groaning before she climbed to her feet.

“Set the course up, Nox,” she called over her shoulder. “I have some energy I need to work off.”

“Could just go fuck Morrison,” McCree shouted at her back.

The pleasant sound of a wooden clipboard smacking McCree in the face rang through the gym, along with Jack’s infuriated shriek.

* * *

 

“Hanzo, hold up.”

Hanzo paused midstep, Storm Bow held securely in one hand and her supper balanced in the other. She turned to face Commander Reyes, tipping her head back a little uncomfortably to meet the enormous woman’s eyes. Were she not made of sterner stuff, Gabriel Reyes might have terrified her. It was unnatural for someone to be as large as the Commander and move so silently.

“Is there a problem, Commander?” Hanzo asked.

“Not unless you go looking for one,” Reyes snorted before she jerked her thumb towards a room. “My office. In.”

Hanzo bowed her head politely and followed the Commander into the room. She highly doubted the office that they stepped into was Reyes’; it would be too convenient to have been caught outside of Reyes’ office when the Commander wanted to talk to her. Most likely it was the office of some lower rank officer that Reyes was temporarily commandeering.

“Have a seat,” Reyes waved a hand at the desk. When Hanzo had made herself comfortable, the large woman leaned her hip against the desk and watched her quietly for a moment. “Morrison says that you’re doing very well for a new recruit.”

“The Commander is…kind,” Hanzo said carefully.

“Tell me about it,” Reyes threw her head back and laughed. “Bastard would tell a two-pump chump that he did fantastic just so he wouldn’t hurt his feelings.”

Hanzo nodded her head slowly, but in truth, she had no idea what Reyes had just said. Reyes seemed to guess that her figure of speech had just gone over Hanzo’s head because she grinned wickedly and brought her fist to her groin. She gave two quick pumps and then splayed her fingers out wide, throwing her hand as she did so. She threw her head back to laugh harder, clearly expecting Hanzo to understand.

“My humor is lost on you people,” Reyes sighed as she realized she was laughing alone. “Anyways, Morrison has given you all the praise I need to hear to confirm my suspicions.”

“Suspicions, Commander?” Hanzo lifted an eyebrow.

She had been on her best behaviour. She hadn’t even removed the fingers of the man that had the audacity to smack her backside when she walked by. She was being a model soldiers and Genji could vouch for her. She hadn’t even talked back to Commander Morrison when he demanded that she redo her push-ups because he didn’t think she had actually gotten twenty done so fast.

“I run an elite group of agents called Blackwatch, Hanzo,” Reyes shifted her weight and crossed her arms over her chest. “We do the shit that no one else wants to; hostage colletion, espionage, you name it and I have someone that can get it done. Every military organization in the world has a black ops unit; we’re no different. I want to add you to our little family.”

Hanzo blinked slowly, carefully processing what she had just been told. “I hope this is not an offer that has to be accepted right away,” she said.

Gabriel grinned. “If you had said yes immediately I would have been worried,” she chuckled. “You aren’t dumb, kid. I know what you’ve done in your life, what you’re capable of on paper; if you signed up at the first shot you had to kill people, well, I’d be a little worried about your mental state. This isn’t a lifestyle for the soft-hearted, but I’m just preaching to the choir at this point.” She lifted herself off of the desk and set her hands on her hips. “Take your time making your decision. Once you’re in, you’re in for life. I don’t dismiss people. You decide you don’t like it and you go hide? I’ll track your ass down and drag you out of whatever hole you’ve crawled into. And I won’t be nice about it.”

“Understood, Commander,” Hanzo bowed her head.

“Good,” Reyes smirked. “Hope your dinner isn’t too cold now.”

“I’ve had worse,” Hanzo shrugged as she got to her feet.

Reyes snorted and showed her to the door. A man was standing on the other side of the door when it was opened, his hand raised to key in the code. His tanned features turned red as he caught sight of Hanzo and he fluffed up like a disgruntled crow.

“What are you doing in my office, recruit?” he demanded angrily.

“Your office, Bennet?” Reyes asked as she leaned on the doorframe behind Hanzo. “Last time I checked, I owned your ass and most of the rooms in this base.”  

Bennet turned pale so fast Hanzo was surprised his eyes didn’t melt as a result. He sputtered out an answer as Reyes gave Hanzo’s back a pat, encouraging her to get moving as she stared the officer down. Hanzo left as quickly as she could, doing her best not to smirk at the officer as she passed him. She didn’t envy him dealing with Commander Reyes when she was clearly feeling like being a massive pain in the ass.

* * *

 

Genji sat beside Hanzo honing the edge of Dragonblade while his sister restrung Storm Bow. Master Zenyatta was meditating nearby, the soft hums of his mantra tickling the edges of his neural network. It felt good to be sitting with his sister under the sunset-coloured sky meditating in their own fashion. They had had so few moments together since arriving at the Watchpoint that didn’t involve impressing Commander Morrison and whatever other high-ranking officer decided to sit in on their training.

Agents called polite greetings to him as they passed, bowing their heads and not expecting him to answer. They knew how important it was to keep his blade sharp. They did not greet Hanzo; she terrified most of the other agents and with good reason. She certainly made no attempt to be friendly with anyone, especially not the men that kept looking at her longingly. The only person that readily greeted them both was Lena Oxton; or Louis Oxton, depending on which colour bomber jacket Tracer was wearing for the day; and Genji was certain that a simple hello exhausted Hanzo when it came from them.

“Have you heard of Blackwatch?” Hanzo asked suddenly.

Genji almost dropped his whetstone in surprised. Hanzo never started the conversations between them when they were meditating. It was always him that couldn’t take the silence and had to fill it with something, anything, to keep his mind from wandering down twisted paths.

“It’s a special operations unit,” Genji replied. “Commander Reyes is in charge of it. Why?”

“I have heard the name several times,” Hanzo said slowly. She ran her fingers carefully down the length of string, appearing to collect her thoughts before she looked at Genji. “As well as my own name.”

“How does that make you feel?” Genji asked.

Sometimes Hanzo needed someone to pull answers out of her when she couldn’t get her thoughts in order on her own. Genji had always been good at that and he was beyond excited to be able to do it again. It showed a level of trust that Hanzo guarded jealously from the world. He wanted to guard her trust just as jealously again, to know that his sister was healing enough that she didn’t run to another to confide in because she couldn’t bear to look at him. He sensed that she wasn’t being wholly truthful with him, but he understood that sometimes she withheld information to get the best, most honest answer.

“Uneasy,” Hanzo sighed as she set Storm Bow down. “I spent my life killing others in the name of our clan; I do not wish to do so under the name of Blackwatch.”

Genji wished he could still worry his lip. It always used to help him think. Instead, he took to poking the back of his mask with his stump of a tongue.

“You’ll have to kill for Overwatch,” he said slowly.

“Yes, but they will be those who have readily threatened the lives of innocents,” Hanzo grimaced. “Not…someone that Commander Reyes has deemed necessary to remove.”

Genji nodded slowly to show he understood. “You know I’ll support whatever decision you make,” he said gently.

“I know and appreciate it,” Hanzo smiled.

It was a little smile, one only meant for Genji to see. It made him happy to see because it meant that Hanzo was slowly starting to forgive herself for the atrocities that she had committed over her lifetime. Healing would take time, but he knew that Hanzo would come through okay. She was always so strong.

“Shall we go get something to eat?” Genji asked.

“You eat protean pouches and I brought my supper out here already,” Hanzo snorted as she climbed to her feet regardless, scooping her empty tray up in one hand while slinging Storm Bow over her back.

“I can still enjoy the smells,” Genji snorted in return. “Have you stopped and smelt Reinhardt’s roasts? I can’t really salivate anymore and my mouth waters at the scent.”

Hanzo’s lips twitched uneasily at the joke, but Genji grabbed her arm before she had a chance to say anything and dragged his older sister along behind him. Zenyatta followed at a sedated pace, a twitter of laughter leaving his vocals.

* * *

 

“You hear the rumors?”

McCree looked up and frowned at Ash. “What rumors?” he asked.

He really just wanted to get back to his meal, but the others were looking at Ash expectantly. Grinning around his healing black eye, Ash pushed his black hair out of his face and leaned forward.

“Heard some of the nurses whispering amongst themselves when they thought they were alone,” he said. “Talking about the Shimadas.”

“What else is new?” Lotus rolled her eyes. “That’s all anyone talks about. Fucking Yakuza crimelord's offspring.”

McCree did his best not to glare at the woman. She had every right to hate the Shimadas; the extended clan members had footholds everywhere in Japan and abroad. Yumi “Lotus” Kimura was in Blackwatch because of her dealings with the clan. Having the two heirs walking around base did nothing to win her over.

“Then you’re going to love this, Lotus,” Ash’s grin widened. “Supposedly, Genji’s condition was caused by Hanzo.”

“What?” McCree demanded.

He wasn’t the only one to hiss, so he wasn’t singled out, but Ash’s eyes flicked to him regardless. His dark brown eyes turned cruel as he glanced around to make sure no one was listening in. When he was certain that the coast was clear, he leaned back in.

“From what I heard, she tore him to pieces and the only reason he’s alive is because Overwatch got a tip that the Shimadas were moving some really hot items through their Castle and sent in a raid team. They hauled the kid back to base and managed to get him stabilized, but Hanzo was nowhere to be found,” he said in a stage whisper. “Even more unfortunate was that their father passed away that same night. The official report says that he died of a heart attack, but I’ve heard that there was a lot of blood in his office for a heart attack.”

A chill ran down McCree’s spine, but he shook his head. “So we’re spreading gossip now?” he asked.

“Gossip?” Ash demanded.

“Yes, gossip,” McCree snorted. “Last I checked, it’s none of our business what the recruits have done in their lives.”

“You want a kin-slayer on your team?” Lotus snorted.

“And torture is such an honourable talent to have,” he hissed quietly at her. “None of us are good people, Lotus, so let’s not try to act like the kings of the fucking castle.”

“We haven’t tried to kill members of our own family,” Lotus snapped.

“Ooh, one shiny light in the darkness of Blackwatch,” McCree sarcastically clapped his hands. “How many of us even have family left to kill, hmm?”

Lotus looked ready to slap him, but her eyes slid past him as the door to the mess hall opened. “Speak of the devil,” she growled.

McCree turned around in his seat and watched the Shimada siblings head for the buffet table with Zenyatta floating behind them. Genji was bouncing on his toes, yapping away about something that had excited him for the time being. Hanzo was carrying a tray in her hands, nodding her head slowly as she listened to Genji talk.

“Yakuza whore,” Lotus growled.

Genji stopped dead in his tracks and his head snapped towards the Blackwatch table. “You want to repeat that?” he shouted.

There was only the Blackwatch table and a few officers having supper. There was no doubt about who he was talking to or what he had overheard. Every head turned towards the rigid cyborg. Hanzo turned her head and rested a hand on her brother’s shoulder.

“Genji, don’t,” she sighed. “Let’s just get you something to eat and go.”

“Aw, is the little assassin afraid of a fight?” Ash called.

“That black eye should tell you otherwise, Ashley,” Hanzo called back.

McCree snorted and a few of his teammates joined in. Lin grinned cruelly at Ash, throwing his head back to cackle as Hanzo gently tried to coax Genji back towards the buffet. Lotus was glaring daggers into Hanzo, but wisely kept her mouth shut since it was clear that Genji could hear her regardless of how quietly she spoke.

“Must have been great for you, Hanzo,” Ash growled. “You went from being the Yakuza bicycle to being Morrison’s top bitch.”

One of the officer’s heads snapped up from her meal and she glared at Ash. Her mouth opened to berate him, but her anger morphed into horror as a green blur leaped over the tables.

“Genji, don’t!”

Genji slammed into Ash and smashed his face down into the table. The Blackwatch table exploded forward, ready to defend their comrade regardless of their opinion of him, until they saw the gleam of steel in the light. Genji had a blade pressed against Ash’s throat, pressing just hard enough to dimple the skin but not break it.

“Speak of my sister in that manner again and I will personally mount your head on the wall,” Genji snarled.

“Genji, hey,” McCree slowly lifted his hands. “Come on; lay off.”

“Lay off?” Genji demanded, snapping his head up. His visor brightened. “Did you hear what he called my sister?”

“Yah, and it was unnecessary,” McCree tried to placate. “Let the officers handle this.”

Genji let out a low growl and pressed the blade deeper into Ash’s neck. “You only listen to Commander Reyes,” he said. “The only thing those officers can do is tell you to stop being asses. They have no real power to stop you.”

“Genji,” Hanzo soothed as she carefully put her hand around Genji’s wrist. “That’s enough.”

Genji growled something in Japanese, but Hanzo just shook her head. Very slowly, she pulled Genji’s wrist away from Ash, keeping the blade from cutting into the brown flesh. She looped an arm around Genji’s waist and slowly pulled him away, still murmuring in Japanese to him.

“Speaking another language so we don’t understand you is rude,” Lotus growled.

“Calling someone a whore is rude,” Hanzo replied, her eyes snapping to Lotus without any of the warmth she was using on Genji.

“What’s this about whores?” Gabriel’s voice called.

Everyone stiffened and turned towards the door. Gabriel was leaning against the doorframe, her brown eyes pegging the Blackwatch table. She didn’t even seem to notice Genji and Hanzo.

“Nothing, Commander,” Hanzo said carefully. “Just an…unfortunate encounter. We’ll just be leaving.”

“Oh no, Shimada-san, I insist that you stay,” Gabriel smiled as she pushed herself off of the doorframe. “How else will I learn what other charming names my soldiers have been calling you?” One hand settled on her hip and McCree flattened himself to the table. “Not that it takes a genius to figure out what they’ve been saying.”

She walked over slowly, letting her presence fill the room. McCree stayed where he was, hoping that Gabriel ignored him in favour of kicking Ash’s teeth in. She leaned on the table and McCree felt her gaze sweep over the people seated around him. Her hand settled in his hair and gently stroked over his scalp.

“You’re in trouble for being a bystander, Jesse,” she growled. “But the rest of you are in deep, deep shit.”

McCree swallowed. Gabriel continued petting his hair as the rest of the team squirmed under her gaze.

“Commander Reyes, if I may?” Zenyatta asked as he floated over.

“Pardon?” Gabriel asked.

“I am gifted in the arts of spiritual healing; if you allow it, I can help to mend the rift between the soldiers.”

McCree heard a few snickers and a soft sigh from Hanzo. Gabriel let out a soft chuckle as she straightened up.

“If you think it will work, go for it,” she said. “I could use a good laugh.”

McCree lifted his head and watched as the omnic laced his fingers together and started to glow. A feeling of peace settled over McCree and he let out a soft sigh as he slumped against the table.

“Embrace tranquility,” Zenyatta said.

The orbs around his neck started glowing and spinning as an aura of radiance surrounded him. McCree let his gaze shift towards Hanzo and he felt himself smile at the peaceful expression on her face. She was holding Genji close to her, resting her head on his shoulder. Genji was tucking himself into her, his visor dim as he basked in the glow of the omnic monk. Something warm settled in McCree’s gut and he let out a soft sigh.

The orbs gently bounced off of everyone’s shoulders. Sheer bliss and tranquility settled over McCree and he closed his eyes to enjoy the moment. He almost missed the rather violent flick of the wrist that Zenyatta gave before one of the orbs slammed into the back of Ash’s head and drove his face down into the table.

“Oh! I’m sorry!” Zenyatta apologized. “Here, let me heal that.”

The orb spun around, zipped in front of Ash’s face, and ran straight into his nose. Blood splattered the table and Ash covered his face with a howl.

“Oh dear,” Zenyatta recalled the orb quickly. “My sensors must need recalibrating. I do deeply apologize for that.”

Beside him, Gabriel started howling with laughter. She threw her head back, drowning out the whimpers of pain that Ash was releasing as he touched his broken nose. Her chest heaved as she struggled to breathe and she slammed her hands down on the table.

“Get your ass to the medical bay, Ash,” she ordered around a wild howl. “I want you ready for training in the morning. Rest of you, finish eating and piss off.”

She rose, still laughing, and clapped a hand on Zenyatta’s shoulder. The omnic sagged a little under the weight, but dipped his head regardless as she moved past him. McCree watched him float over to where Hanzo and Genji were struggling to hold their laughter in, backing away quickly as Ash and Trice got to their feet. Lotus followed them out of the mess hall, shooting a glare over her shoulder towards the omnic.

“Remind me not to get on your bad side,” McCree chuckled as he poked a fork into his cold mashed potatoes.

“I do not know what you are speaking of, Jesse McCree,” Zenyatta chirped innocently. “Enjoy your meal, agents.”

McCree shook his head as he shoveled a mouthful of cold potatoes into his mouth. His eyes drifted back to Hanzo, watching her as she kept her arm around Genji’s shoulders. If she was the one responsible for Genji’s condition, it must have been an accident. There was no way that she would intentionally attempt to harm someone that she clearly cared deeply about.

Ash must have been lying. That was the only explanation. Snorting his confirmation, McCree took a sip of his iced tea and started to slowly finish what was on his plate.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do not mess with anyone that Zenyatta has come to considering a student or a friend; he will end you in the most tranquil way possible.
> 
> I'm not one to usually ask for comments, but some feedback would be greatly appreciated. This is easily one of my more popular fics and I am still floored by the number of people that keep showing up to read each update. It's absolutely amazing to see that sort of interest from the fandom and I would love to know what everyone thinks of the story so far.


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Just wanted to give a huge thank you to everyone that's read the story, left kudos, and left comments. This is easily one of my more popular stories I think I've ever written and I'm floored by the number of people that keep coming back and reading everything. It's absolutely amazing and I can't gush my thanks enough.
> 
> Seriously, guys, this is absolutely amazing. Thank you so, so much for your support!

Doctor Angela “Mercy” Ziegler tightened the bolts holding Hanzo’s metallic leg braces in place and paused. “How’s that feel?” she asked as she pulled the socket wrench away.

“Good,” Hanzo nodded. “Much better, thank you.”

Dr. Ziegler nodded and moved to the other leg, tightening the braces to the exact same setting. “All the running around that Commander Morrison has you doing has loosened them a great deal,” she commented.

“I usually can tighten them myself,” Hanzo said. “However, I thought one of the rods had cracked. I almost broke my leg all over again the last time I tried to tighten them myself with a cracked rod.”

“Better safe than sorry,” Dr. Ziegler agreed as she straightened up and sat down on the stool beside Hanzo. “Stand up and tell me how they feel.”

Hanzo did as instructed. Her legs felt stiff and ungainly at first, but she slowly warmed the metal up enough that they moved with her muscles. She stretched carefully, seeing just how far she could go before she felt the metal bite into the flesh of her thighs. She had one heel pressed up into her pelvis and the other foot stretched out beside her and she still didn’t feel any pain.

“This is the best they have felt in a long time,” Hanzo nodded her head as she rose smoothly to her feet. She bowed to Dr. Ziegler. “ _Arigatou gozaimashita_.”

“You are very welcome, Hanzo,” Dr. Ziegler smiled. “I am glad to see that you are so healthy. Most new recruits are half-dead before the month is out.”

“Commander Morrison seems determined to weed us out,” Hanzo said carefully.

She wasn’t sure how much she was allowed to say about the Commander. While she understood the need for strict, regimented exercise; especially in the military setting that most of them would be serving; the Commander was throwing those who could barely run one lap into hours’ worth of exercise. It seemed needlessly dangerous and counter-productive.

“He likes to show the recruits what they’re capable of before they get their first assignments,” Dr. Ziegler nodded. “It’s never easy in the field and he tries to prepare them for anything. I’m sure you and Genji will be fine regardless of where you end up, though. You’re both incredibly fit young people.”

“Of that I am certain,” Hanzo lifted her head proudly. “And…thank you, Doctor, for…for Genji.”

Her throat suddenly felt very tight and she looked away from the sweet-faced doctor. She coughed, hoping to clear her throat before the tears started building in her eyes. Haloed in blonde hair, Dr. Ziegler gave her the sweetest, saddest smile that made Hanzo feel even worse.

“I am more than happy to have helped your brother in that difficult time, Hanzo,” she said softly. “You do not need to thank me.”

Hanzo nodded her head before she hastily pulled her boots back over her braces. She turned and hurried out of the medical bay after a very badly worded farewell. In her haste, she almost ran straight into Winston’s face. She apologized, skirting around the massive, armor-clad gorilla as he watched her in amusement. He gave a small wave as she hurried away and she made a quick motion to return the favour. It paid to stay on the scientist’s good side considering he was a massive brute of a fighter when he was angered. She had already watched him fling someone across the room when they had the nerve to call him a monkey one too many times even after he told them to stop.

She headed for the community gardens, planning on hiding until her tears dried up and her stomach stopped clenching. Instead, she ran face-first into yet another agent and let out a soft yip of pain as her nose bounced painfully off of an armored chestplate. She touched her nose, relieved that it wasn’t bleeding and glared up at the man that had walked out the door just as she was walking through it.

“You okay, little lady?” he asked.

It was so tempting to knock the man flat on his ass for such a comment. Hanzo was not “little”; she was well over the average height for a woman, standing proudly at 5’ 8’’; and she was no “lady” either, regardless of what her mother tried to do to her growing up. However, she knew that knocking Jesse McCree out would only get her in trouble with Commander Reyes. She didn’t want to draw unwanted attention from the massive woman now that she was waiting to hear about a decision regarding her offer.

“I am fine, McCree-san,” she said coolly. “You, however, need a bell.”

She tried to step around him, but he held an arm out. “A bell?” he asked, furrowing his wild eyebrows over his muddy brown eyes.

“Yes, like the ones used by cat-owners,” Hanzo smirked. “That way you do not continue to harm the other agents.”

McCree gawked at her as she slipped under his arm and continued into the gardens. “Now hold on a minute!” he shouted after her.

He scrambled to follow her, his massive cowboy boots stomping after her until he was standing uncomfortably close to her back. Hanzo made a point to not turn around as she gathered a few gardening tools and a pair of large women’s gardening gloves. He fumed behind her as she walked off, stomping after her and growling loudly.

He didn’t need to know that his presence was making it hard for her to think. He didn’t need to know that she wanted to turn around and run her fingers through his hair and ravish his mouth. She wasn’t supposed to act like this; she had to make it clear that she wasn’t interested before this got out of hand. Before she did something stupid to encourage the awkward encounters they continued to have.

“What makes you think I’m the one that needs a bell, panther-foot?” he demanded. “You’re the one that sneaks up on people without a sound.”

“Cats have a habit of slipping away and getting lost,” Hanzo shrugged a shoulder as she knelt down to start tending to the funny little topiaries that someone had decided to plant along the far wall of the gardens. “I thought that Commander Reyes would like to be able to keep track of her pet.”

“I ain’t no one’s pet, Shimada-san,” McCree growled behind her.

“Then I was mistaken,” she said sweetly. “I simply assumed that anyone that trotted at a commanding officer’s heels like a puppy begging for attention was their personal pet.”

She was expecting anger. She was expecting the gunslinger to start shouting and insulting her. She was expecting an excuse to put her shame to good use and teach the man a lesson in keeping his distance. She was not expecting him to throw back his head and start laughing.

“That’s quite the pretty picture you paint there, Shimada-san,” he cackled. “Maybe I should get myself a set of floppy ears, just for you.”

She glanced over her shoulder at him and he winked. She arched an eyebrow at him and returned to her work.

“You do that,” she said.

Behind her, McCree squirmed. She knew men like him all her life; they acted a certain way in hopes of making young female hearts twitter and have their owners fall at their feet. Hanzo did not survive to be twenty-eight years old and still unwed by being easily swayed by macho idiocy. She was nothing if not stubborn and good at lying to herself.

McCree coughed out something about needing to be somewhere else and beat a hasty retreat. Hanzo glanced after him, smirking as the cowboy vanished through the doors back into the base. She shook her head in amusement, pondering why handsome men were always the most obnoxious people to be around.

“This is why you’re still single,” Genji called. “Can’t go two seconds with someone interested in you without showing your claws.”

“Says the man too scared to tell his mentor how he feels,” Hanzo called back as she carefully snipped branches off of the camel topiary.

She heard a dull thud behind her and snapped her head around. Her heart leaped into her throat; Genji did not make a sound when he jumped and he had just thudded to the ground. He was lying in a heap below the wall on her right with his backend in the air as he groaned.

“That was the worst landing,” he said as he lifted himself to his knees. “You saw nothing.”

“I certainly heard it,” Hanzo replied as she got to her feet. “Are you alright?”

“Nothing bruised or broken but my ego,” Genji’s visor flashed. “Relax, _oneesan_ , I’ve had worse falls.”

“You thudded to the ground,” Hanzo shook her head as she walked over.

“You weren’t there the day I fell through three stories of wooden boards,” Genji laughed. “I splatted on the ground.”

Hanzo froze, staring at her brother in horror. “When the HELL did that happen?” she demanded.

Genji snapped his head back as if she was about to rip his throat out with her teeth. “Uh…about two years ago?” he reached up to scratch at his neck. “I was chasing after a target and…uh…well. Down I went.”

“I would punch you if it wouldn’t do more damage to me,” Hanzo growled before she roughly dragged her brother against her chest. “When will you learn to stop being an idiot, _otouto_?”

“When you aren’t there to kiss the owies better,” Genji whispered against her neck. “When we’re both old and gray and chasing each other around a retirement home in wheelchairs.”

Tears started falling down her face and Hanzo clung to her brother. She didn’t have to say anything; the tears were in his voice and she could faintly hear them pattering against the inside of his mask. They were never going to grow old together. If one of them didn’t die first, Genji would greatly outlive her, sustained by his cybernetic components while Hanzo’s body broke down with age.

Hanzo hiccupped and sobbed, burying her face in Genji’s neck. His arms tighten around her, holding her safe and secure as she broke down. He doesn’t say anything, he just held her as her tear fell down her face and against his chest. His hands guarded her back, hiding her from a world that was always looking for a reason to tear her to pieces.

It’s what he had always done.

* * *

 

Unknown to both of them, Gabriel and Jack were watching. Decisions were being made, passed by silent looks that would have meant little to anyone else. They had two broken ninjas on their hands, one well on the road to recovery but the other was stiff and just unwavering enough that too hard of a shove would snap her.

‘Not ready for Blackwatch,’ Gabriel said without words.

‘Not yet,’ Jack agreed. ‘Still send them on the mission?’

‘Yes. No special treatment.’ Gabriel rubbed at her jaw, working the muscles as she parted her lips. ‘Both Commanders present. Final evaluations. No more playtime.’

Jack nodded and shifted the notes on his lap. He jotted a few things down, rubbing at an ear as Gabriel watched the monitors. He glanced at her, but she wasn’t looking at him, her eyes hard and evaluating the Shimada siblings. Good or bad, he couldn’t say.

Sometimes Gabriel was easy to read but other times she might as well have been speaking Spanish as fast as she could. He scratched his neck and made a note to keep an eye on the Shimadas for the next few days.

* * *

 

Genji settled himself down on the floor beside his bed. Hanzo was fast asleep under the covers, her breathing soft and even. She deserved a decent night’s sleep and didn’t need to worry about his necessary hums in order to meditate. It was quiet enough not to be heard, but if he was sitting right beside her, she would definitely feel it vibrating through his armor.

He sensed Taka nearby, twisting between the real world and the ether. He closed his eyes, focused on her presence, and slowly felt her coiling around him. Her warm nose nuzzled against his cheek and he did his best not to giggle as he felt her warm breath wash over his flesh through the armor.

“You’re in a good mood,” he said as he reached up to stroke her soft, furry cheeks.

 _“I’m always in a good mood,”_ Taka laughed. _“You mortals are the grumpy ones.”_

“We have good reason to be grumpy, Taka,” he teased.

 _“Bah. You’re just making up excuses,_ ” she huffed before gently nibbling on the horns of his helmet. _“So, we have a little proposal for you.”_

“Uh oh; what are the scary mates thinking of this time?” Genji asked.

For as long as he had known them, Kita and Minami were terrible, terrible old dragons. While they generally didn’t interfere too much with Hanzo’s life, they were known to rear their heads whenever they saw something that she should be doing that she was pointedly not. The last time he remembered them interfering was when Hanzo was pushing herself too hard at University and came home half-dead over the break. They had recruited him via Taka to drag her out to the local _onsen_ and force her to relax.

It had gone over surprisingly well. Save the bruise he received across his ribs when he had grabbed her without warning when she was eating breakfast.

 _“You’re going to love this,”_ Taka cackled. _“I’m calling it ‘Operation: Save a Horse’.”_

“There’s a joke in there I’m not getting,” Genji sighed.

Taka clicked her tongue at him and flopped her head heavily onto his. _“Ugh. I come up with a beautiful joke and my silly charge doesn’t even have the decency to understand it. So rude,”_ she whined.

“So explain it.”

 _“Ugh. So, there’s this man that Kita and Minami think will be a perfect mate for Hanzo,”_ Taka huffed.

“Oh no.”

_“Oh yes.”_

“Arranged marriages haven’t worked yet with her; she’ll just kill the guy,” Genji warned.

 _“You aren’t curious as to who it is?”_ Taka pouted.

“Why get attached to someone that’s just going to die?”

_“Because it’s Jesse McCree.”_

Genji felt his mouth drop open in shock. He let that digest in his brain for a moment; Kita and Minami, Hanzo’s over-protective guardians that happily chased off a number of Hanzo’s previous suiters, were trying to play match-maker by picking the biggest culture shock they could find. A nasty grin curled up his face and he reached up to scratch under Taka’s ears.

“I’m in.”

 _“I knew you would be,”_ Taka cackled. _“She won’t be sorry.”_

“Hope not, otherwise it’s going to be pinned on me,” Genji laughed. “She still hasn’t forgiven me for the last guy I tried to set her up with.”

 _“How were you supposed to know he was a misogynistic bastard?”_ Taka huffed. _“Still definitely worth it to see her deck him.”_

“Definitely,” he agreed as he stroked over her tail. “Am I in this alone or can I recruit others to assist in getting the two of them together?”

 _“Get as many people in on it as you deem safe,”_ Taka purred. _“I predict a happy union before the year is out!_ ”

“You’re really positive this will work,” Genji groaned.

 _“Well, it’s not my head if it doesn’t,_ ” she sing-songed and dropped her nose in front of his face. _“Minami’s the one that’ll get in trouble.”_

Genji shook his head before he reached for his phone. First person he wanted in on the whole operation was Tracer. If there was anyone that could stealthily help him get McCree and Hanzo in the same room; or not stealthily, he wasn’t being picky; it was his gender-fluid compatriot.

 _‘Feel like playing match-maker?’_ he texted.

 _‘Who?’_ Tracer texted back a few minutes later.

He hoped he hadn’t woken his friend up, but he was giddy with excitement as he typed back _‘My sister and a certain cowboy gunslinger.’_

 _‘OMG. Dude. DUDE. I’m in.’_ they texted back almost immediately.

_‘Operation: Save a Horse is a go then.’_

Taka snickered happily on his shoulder as she read the message. _“And this is why I love you.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's a popular fan headcannon that Hanzo's legs are prosthetics; Blizzard has since told us that no, he doesn't actually have prosthetics, those are just boots. I'm one of the ones that sits contently in the middle and enjoys both versions. In this story, Hanzo's legs aren't proper prosthetics, but a serious accident in her youth makes it impossible for her to walk without something holding the bones in her legs together. Don't worry; it will be explained in later chapters.
> 
> Also, bad flirting is terrible because HOW DOES ONE FLIRT?!


	8. Chapter 7

The explosion rocked the street and McCree swore as he crouched behind a stone wall. It was supposed to be an extraction mission to get the new recruits used to the idea of working with each other, nothing else. That had gone to shit really fast.

Talon goons had swarmed over the streets, firing on agent and civilian alike. The Commanders did the only thing they could do; call a full retreat. Jack grabbed his recruits and focused on getting civilians to safety while Gabriel and the few Blackwatch soldiers she never left base without focused on thinning the Talon herd.

It was proving to be more difficult than McCree had first thought. He was running dangerously low on ammo and even with Amelie providing coverfire from the rooftops, he was stuck. Gabriel was somewhere ahead of him, shotgun pumping the Talon omnics full of hot lead while she covered Jack’s retreat, but he didn’t know where anyone else was. Gritting his teeth, McCree reloaded Peacemaker and poked his head out from behind the wall.

He felt the heat of a bullet whiz past his cheek and immediately ducked back down. “Fucking A!”

“McCree, where the fuck are you?” Gabriel voice snarled in his ear.

He fumbled with the earpiece, pressing it a little too hard and making it buzz loudly. “Pinned down behind a fucking wall! Where are they all coming from?”

“If I knew that we wouldn’t fucking still be here, McCree!” Gabriel snarled. There was an explosion of noise on the other end of his earpiece, quickly followed by a string of Spanish calling the Talon goons’ mother’s fidelity into question. “Amelie! You’re supposed to be providing cover! Where is it?!”

“There’s too many,” Amelie snapped. “ _Merde_ , Commander, we’re going to be overwhelmed.”

“If I lose any soldiers, I’m going to mount your head on the wall, Lacroix,” Gabriel growled. “This is your fucking _job_ ; stop pissing around and do it!”

Amelie fell silent and a few seconds later an omnic exploded behind McCree. He did his best not to flinch at the sound and hoisted himself up to shoot above cover. He knocked down two omnics before he had to drop and reload.

“Human soldiers moving in,” he warned. “I got…oh fuck sakes; SHIMADAS ARE ON THE ROOF!”

He spotted Genji before he saw Hanzo, but it was a difference of a few seconds. He had no idea why Jack would have sent them back; Genji was armed with a damn sword and Hanzo was using arrows. Fucking. Arrows. The Talon goons had omnics and high-powered rifles at their disposal and most of Hanzo’s left side was hanging out while Genji only had his armor to keep him in one piece; they were dead.

He could hear Gabriel roaring over the earpiece, telling the siblings to fall back before she got her hands on them, but they kept running. If he wasn’t pinned down under a hail of bullets, he might have been impressed with their nerve. As it was, he was only annoyed that they were throwing away their lives.

Genji swung himself down from the roof, flipping over and slicing an omnic in half before he rolled across the ground. He was a blur of green as he moved, slicing through omnic after omnic until his blade bit into flesh and showered his armor in blood. Above him, Hanzo was firing arrows at a rapid pace. Most of them exploded into smaller pieces, bouncing around and impaling omnic and human alike.

McCree stared in awe at the carnage before he hauled himself back to his feet and started firing again. “Genji, they’re coming in on your right!” he shouted through the earpiece.

Genji pivoted and lifted his leg, smashing the flat side against an agent’s face. They went down without a sound and Genji spun, slicing through an omnic. An arrow sank into the throat of an agent that had lifted their gun at Genji and the offending man tumbled backwards with a gargled scream. McCree’s eyes flicked up towards the rooftop and saw Hanzo making her way towards him, eyes on the battlefield as Genji continued on his way.

“ _Ryujin wo ken wo kurae_!” Genji roared as he pulled his second sword out of the sheath on his back.

A green glow enveloped him and he started slashing at the Talon agents around him. Everywhere his blade went, an agent fell dead. A shape slowly took form in Genji’s wake, a green serpentine thing that had long whiskers flowing beside it, and roared with every kill Genji delivered.

“Whoa,” McCree whistled.

“Genji, fall back!” Hanzo ordered. McCree jumped as she dropped down beside him, fitting a blue-fletched arrow onto her bow. “Now!”

Genji came sprinting towards them immediately. He vaulted the stone wall and collapsed beside McCree, scrambling to keep his back against the stone. He groaned and reached up, pulling McCree down towards him.

“You don’t want to be in the way,” he warned.

“Wha?” McCree demanded as he bounced his chin off of Genji’s shoulder, rattling the teeth in his head.

A surging blue tendril of light wrapped its way around Hanzo’s inked arm and she rose. “ _Ryuu ga waga teki wo kurau_!” she roared and fired the arrow.

Her shout was nothing compared to the roar that engulfed the square. McCree lifted his head over the wall to see what she had just done. His jaw fell open in disbelief as a pair of blue ethereal dragons tore their way through the Talon agents. Omnics were shred to pieces and humans were thrown around, limbs spinning off as they screamed in pain and fear. The dragons vanished into the buildings on the other side of the square, exploding into blue dust as their tails disappeared. Hanzo sagged against the wall with a low groan of exhaustion.

Genji caught her as she sank to her knees. “They’re stronger than last time,” he murmured as Hanzo rested her head on his shoulder.

“Still not full power,” Hanzo grumbled. “I thought….”

“You’re still healing, _oneesan_ ,” Genji chuckled. “Give yourself, and them, time. Even my guardian is not at her full strength.”

“If that,” McCree made a gesture towards the massacred square, “is them not at full power, I never want to see their full potential.”

Hanzo shot him a look before her eyebrows knitted together. “You’re bleeding,” she said.

“Hmm?” McCree looked down at himself. “Oh. Well, I’ll be damned. Fucker did wing me.”

Blood was leaking out of a gash across his ribs where his chestplate was carved open. It had taken most of the damage, but the omnic had still managed to cut flesh. He touched the wound, wincing as pain flared up beneath the pads of his fingers. He lifted bloody fingers to his face and squinted, trying to decide if the wound was still bleeding or if it had begun to dry.

“Don’t touch it!” Hanzo growled.

She pushed herself off of Genji and started scrambling her fingers over the catches on McCree’s chestplate. He tried to shove her off of him, grumbling that he was fine, but it was like trying to move a rock off of his chest. She pulled his chestplate off and set it aside, peeling his shirt back to look at the wound. McCree glanced at Genji, but he was already asking for evac and didn’t seem to notice that McCree was begging for help.

Hanzo’s hands were all over his chest and it was very hard to keep his blood from going south. He knew that Hanzo would kill him if she saw his pants tenting and trying to blame it on an injury wouldn’t help either. He was so screwed.

“It’s not deep,” Hanzo informed him as she pulled his shirt off even though he was fighting against her. “It won’t need stitches, at least.”

“Would you stop it?” McCree demanded as he pushed angrily at her hands. “Jesus Christ, woman; I can handle my own injuries!”

Hanzo gave him a look and he immediately stilled. It was like looking at Gabriel when she was really angry, not just her curse-spitting angry that wasn’t really intimidating. He didn’t think that Hanzo was angry, but that stillness, level-gaze, and the silent dare for him to continue arguing with her actually made his bladder tremble in his gut.

“You were unaware of the injury until I pointed it out,” Hanzo said. “Your thoughts are elsewhere, McCree-san. Allow me to make sure the wound is not infected.”

“Vert should be here soon,” he grumbled as he looked away. “Have me fixed up before Angela even knows.”

Hanzo snorted and returned to her examination. She pulled something out of a pocket and McCree jumped as something wet dragged across his wound.

“Ow!” he yelped as a stinging pain raced across his chest.

Hanzo lifted an eyebrow at him. “It’s an antiseptic wipe,” she said slowly, almost like she was speaking to a child throwing a temper tantrum. “To make sure the wound is clean.”

McCree glared at her and flinched as Gabriel slammed a boot against the stone beside his head. He glanced up at her and forced a grin to his face as her dark features loomed furiously above him.

“You have three seconds to explain what the fuck you two are doing here before I kick your asses back to the shuttle,” she growled.

“We were in Commander Morrison’s way,” Genji said as he got to his feet. “So we doubled back to assist you, Commander Reyes.”

“Did Morrison give you the order?” Gabriel asked sweetly as she rounded on Genji. She towered over the ninja, but he didn’t look frightened.

“No, Commander,” Genji shook his head. “But the civilians were safe and we were of no further use to him.”

“And, with all due respect, Commander,” Hanzo added as she scraped a piece of dried blood off of McCree’s stomach, “if we had not shown up when we did, you would have been overrun.”

Gabriel turned her gaze on Hanzo and McCree struggled not to giggle as Hanzo continued to inadvertently tickle him. He did not want that gaze turned on him and he was terrified of moving. Predators always attacked the things that moved. A smirk stretched across Gabriel’s lips and she let out a wild cackle.

“You have some nerve speaking to me like that, Shimada,” she howled, “but you have a point. Vert! See to McCree’s wounds and get his ass on the shuttle. Morrison wants us out of here yesterday.”

A man with brilliant green hair stepped around Gabriel and gently moved Hanzo away from McCree’s side. He rolled his eyes at the injury, took one look at the blood-stained wipes in Hanzo’s hand, and lifted a medical kit off of his hip.

“Big Band-Aid for the cowboy,” Vert shook his head. “Well done.”

“Yes, because it’s my intention to get stared down by the dragon-lady,” McCree grumbled.

Vert raised a coloured eyebrow, but McCree shook his head. Genji was helping Hanzo to her feet, looping his arm around her waist when her legs threatened to collapse out from under her. Gabriel gave them both a worried look, lifting an eyebrow but not saying anything as they walked past.

Gabriel held her hand out and helped McCree back to his feet when Vert was finished patching him up. It wasn’t a long walk to the evac shuttle, but it was certainly annoying feeling his wound stretch and pull with every step he took.

* * *

 

“Dragons?” Gabriel blinked at McCree. “You’re telling me that she summoned dragons?”

McCree nodded. “Genji says they aren’t really dragons; just some sort of projection of them, but my point still stands, boss. Hanzo could literally tear this place apart by herself. She’s a one-man hurricane.”

Gabriel leaned back in her chair and glanced at Jack. Jack’s pretty face was drawn into a frown and his arms were crossed over his chest. He didn’t like this development any more than she did.

“There are lots of dangerous agents working for Overwatch,” she said slowly. “Many that could level the Watchpoints on their own.”

“Genji said that the dragons were stronger than the last time he saw them,” McCree shook his head. “If those dragons are only at half-power or whatever, we can’t stand against fully powered ones.”

“What are you suggesting, Jesse?” Jack asked.

McCree rubbed his stubble and bit his lip. “Get her in Blackwatch,” he murmured. “Get her running missions, forming bonds, anything to keep her from becoming….”

Gabriel threw her head back and started laughing. McCree looked at her like she had lost her mind, but Jack only let out a sigh and braced his jaw on his fist.

“You could be a little subtler about wanting her close by,” Jack teased.

McCree’s face turned cherry red. “That wasn’t my…!” he started to squeak before Gabriel cut him off.

“We’ll keep an eye on Hanzo, McCree,” she reassured him. “We’re still debating on her joining Blackwatch.”

McCree frowned at her. “She scares you,” he accused.

Gabriel dropped her smile. “You want to rethink that accusation, McCree?” she offered.

 “Figured you’d want someone like her close by,” he growled.

“Hanzo has some…shortcomings,” Jack said carefully. “We need more time to decide if she is Blackwatch material.”

“Not that it is any concern of yours, McCree,” Gabriel growled.

McCree met her gaze for a few seconds before he looked at the table. “That all you needed to know, boss?” he asked.

“Dismissed,” Gabriel nodded.

McCree got to his feet, saluted, and left the room. Jack rubbed at his face and sighed.

“You really mad at him?” he asked.

“A little,” Gabriel sighed and leaned back in her chair. “Don’t like that he pegged it so quickly.”

“Hanzo terrifies most people,” Jack smirked.

“Not you,” Gabriel looked at him approvingly. “Pretty boy Jack Morrison isn’t scared of the dragon-lady.”

Jack shook his head. “She’s nowhere near as bad as everyone makes her out to be; she’s stoic and likes to be left alone. I can work with that and she’s willing to listen to me. Most of the time.”

“Like today.”

“Don’t ever tell her that I approve of her taking off to help you,” Jack shook his head again. “She and Genji cleaned house; jumped in like it was nothing.”

“I wasn’t nothing if Angela’s report is accurate,” Gabriel snorted. “And it always is. Genji and Hanzo exhausted themselves using those dragons. Hanzo could barely walk when I got there and I’m positive the only thing keeping Genji upright were his metal legs. Those things are powerful, but they cost a whole hell of a lot to use.”

“So there’s a counter-point that we can rely on,” Jack rubbed his jaw. “Go get Hanzo for me, please? I’ll have a talk with her.”

“If Angela even lets her out of the medical bay,” Gabriel got to her feet. She paused at the door and turned around. “Would you have left?” she asked softly.

Jack looked her in the eye. “Yes.”

Gabriel tilted her head. “Not going to explain yourself, pretty boy?” she asked.

“You know my reasons, Gabriel,” Jack said.

Gabriel smiled. Not a smirk, not a sneer, not a smile that promised delightful things in their room later; an honest smile. She did know Jack’s reasons and approved of each one. The recruits weren’t ready for Talon; they would have been scattered and picked off. The civilians were safe. Blackwatch agents were supposed to be able to handle themselves without Overwatch baby-sitting them. Leaving might have drawn the idiots away from the populated sector and into an area where the agents could have used their abilities without fear of getting anyone hurt in the crossfire.

They were good reasons, ones she couldn’t argue with. She didn’t feel angry about Jack being ready to pull his troops out and leave her behind.

“Meet you in the your room,” she nodded her head and left to track down Hanzo.

* * *

 

Hanzo sat opposite Commander Morrison and met his even gaze. It was like looking at a tired elder sibling, one that had spent all day running around chasing after all of his other siblings, only to find out the one that usually behaves themselves got detention at school. She hadn’t felt bad when Commander Reyes had chewed her out the whole way back to base on the shuttle, but there was something about Commander Morrison’s soft blue eyes that made her feel like she had let him down.

“I know that you are used to working by yourself,” Commander Morrison sighed, “but if you want to stay with Overwatch, you have to start working as a team. I give the orders and you follow them. Insubordination is what gets people killed.”

“I…apologize, Commander,” she said. “It was not my intention to undermine your authority.”

“I know,” Commander Morrison’s smile was as tired as his eyes, but there was a warmth that Hanzo appreciated. “You’re smart, Hanzo. Reyes and I appreciate that, but you have to be a team player. We like to play hero in Overwatch, but heroes that try to pull solo missions in the middle of a firefight end up six feet in the ground. You’re valuable to our organization, Hanzo; please don’t make me send your remains back to Hanamura.”

“I understand, sir,” she bowed her head. “McCree …he is doing alright?”

She was worried about the cowboy. The wound hadn’t been deep and she trusted Commander Reyes’ favourite field medic, but he had looked at her strangely the whole flight back to base. Normally, such things did not bother her and she would have chalked it up to him suffering from battle fatigue, but he had just witnessed two dragons tear their way through the middle of a group of soldiers. The mess they had left in their wake would be a nightmare to clean up. She did not envy whoever was stuck with that job.

“His injuries were minimal, thanks to you and Genji,” Commander Morrison reassured her.

“He…,” she chewed the inside of her lip. “He did not speak of my dismissal?”

“No,” Commander Morrison frowned. “Why would he do that?”

“There have been…rumours,” she said as she folded her hands on her lap. Not entirely a lie, but most of the “rumors” were her own fears, not the words of anyone else. “I…do not wish to leave, Commander. I think I can do good things with Overwatch with a bit of time.”

Commander Morrison gave her a long look before he smiled. It shocked her to watch the way his face brightened around the smile. She had never seen someone do that; not even Genji had been able to brighten up quite like this. She found herself smiling back and didn’t really care that her smiles were supposed to be few and far between for everyone but her brother.

“I know that you can, Hanzo,” he said. “I have a lot of faith in your abilities. You proved that today by protecting McCree when he was pinned down. Just start following orders.”

“I will,” she bowed her head again.

“Good,” Commander Morrison said. “You’re dismissed, Hanzo. Take a few days to recover. Nothing strenuous, not even training.”

Hanzo wrinkled her nose at the suggestion, but bowed her head. “Understood, sir,” she said.

She rose to her feet, saluted, and left the room. She was exhausted; calling the dragons always left her dead tired. Rest sounded amazing right now and her room was calling like a wanton lover. She was so exhausted that she didn’t notice McCree tailing her, didn’t notice the look in his eyes, and didn’t notice the way that he touched his injured side almost fondly.


	9. Chapter 8

“I wanted to apologize,” Hanzo said as she folded her hands behind her back.

Genji thought that his sister looked nervous. That wasn’t a typical look for her, but considering she was apologizing for something she had done, it made sense. Apologies were difficult for her to get out on the best of days. Standing in front of the cowboy that he knew damn well she was crushing on was even worse.

“Apologize?” McCree frowned at her as he tapped the ashes off the end of his cigarillo into the ashtray at his elbow. “For what?”

 “What I said in the garden,” Hanzo said. “It was inappropriate.”

McCree let out a soft snort of laughter. “That’s still eating away at you?” he asked in surprise. “I thought it was funny, you know, after the initial kick wore off.”

“It was still inappropriate of me to say,” Hanzo insisted. “Therefore, I wanted to make a formal apology.”

“You saved my ass in that town square,” McCree set his smoke back between his teeth. “That sounds like a formal ‘sorry for being prickly’ to me.”

Hanzo looked away. “I did not save you to apologize for what I said,” she replied. “I saved you because a fellow agent was in trouble.”

“Then consider your apology accepted, hu-,” he caught himself as Hanzo’s cold eyes snapped towards his face, daring him to call her “hun”, “er, Hanzo. Want a drink?”

Genji did his best not to smirk at his sister’s confused expression. She glanced at the bottle of rum sitting on the picnic table, then at the glasses sitting in front of McCree and the massive knight Reinhardt Wilhelm. Genji couldn’t drink anything; his stomach wasn’t capable of handling any sort of liquor anymore; but he was there to bond with the others. He liked McCree’s off-colour brand of humor and Reinhardt had the best laugh even if he did hit hard enough to knock a small person on their backside; it wasn’t like he meant to anyways. The big guy just didn’t realize his own strength at times.

“I…I’m not familiar with this drink,” Hanzo said uncomfortably.

Not that McCree would know, but Hanzo loved her liquor. She liked to pretend that she only had a few favourites, but Genji knew damn well that she could and would drink just about anything. He was incredibly jealous of her constitution; always had been and likely always would be.

“You’ve never had rum?” McCree gawked at her.

Hanzo set a hand on the gourd on her hip; blue and trimmed with white; and shook her head. “I generally only drink sake. Whiskey if I can find a good bottle.”

A lie. A terrible, blatant lie! He has seen you drink vodka like it was water, Hanzo; you cannot lie to him!

McCree’s mouth opened even further. “You drink whiskey?!”

One of Hanzo’s eyebrows rose. “I believe I just said I did,” she said as she settled herself down on the bench beside Genji and across from Reinhardt.

“Here,” Reinhardt chuckled, “have a sip. Rum and coke.”

Genji watched his sister take the massive glass, just barely able to get one hand around one side of it. Reinhardt had his own personal set of dishes and cutlery, everything in the “overly huge” size to fit his enormous hands. She eyed the dark liquid cautiously before she took a sip. She handed the glass back to Reinhardt and licked her lips.

“That’s good,” she nodded.

“Aaand I’m getting another glass,” McCree grinned as he got to his feet. “And checking if we have any whiskey. Don’t go anywhere.”

Hanzo lifted her hand to stop him but surrendered unusually fast. Someone needed a drink, apparently, and sake just wasn’t scratching that particular itch. Didn’t help that the blue gourd was for water, but no one else would know that other than Hanzo and Genji. He loved his sister to pieces, even if she was a little obsessed with order at times.

“Heard about the fiasco in Italy,” Reinhardt said as he sipped his drink. “Was telling Genji how impressed I was. Not too often two people, especially new recruits, can take on that many Talon operatives without taking major injuries in return.”

Hanzo shifted in her seat. “They were mostly omnics,” she said, trying to brush the praise off.

“That you took out on your own,” Genji reached out to squeeze her hand. _‘Take the praise,’_ he thought privately. _‘You deserve it.’_

Hanzo shot him a glare. “I was trying to be humble,” she grumbled.

“Welcome to Overwatch; being humble is overrated,” McCree crowed as he sat himself back down and poured Hanzo’s drink. “And I found some whiskey,” he added as he plunked the bottle of Suntory blended whiskey down on the table. “Not opened and looks to be a good vintage.”

Genji glanced at the bottle and looked away. He was so happy that he couldn’t grin as widely anymore and that his mask covered his face; what were the chances that the one bottle McCree grabbed was the brand that Hanzo absolutely loved? He could see the battle of emotions on his sister’s face as she accepted the rum and coke; she wanted so badly to open the whiskey and drink it from the bottle.

“I love you,” he whispered in Japanese. “Your expression is priceless.”

“You’re adopted,” Hanzo grumbled back as she slowly sipped her drink. “Could you put that on the ground?” she asked, nudging her head towards the whiskey. “It’s taunting me.”

“No problem, doll,” McCree chuckled as he set the bottle on the ground. Hanzo visibly bristled and McCree lifted a hand. “Sorry, term of endearment.”

“Please refrain from using it in the future,” Hanzo growled as she sipped her drink. “I’ve spent enough time as someone’s doll to never want to be referred to as such again.”

McCree and Reinhardt exchanged nervous glances and Genji shook his head. They did not want to go down that route, not over drinks; especially not over drinks where there’s whiskey nearby for Hanzo to damn near drown herself in. Some memories were best left buried.

“So, those dragons of yours,” McCree coughed, “they got names?” Hanzo glanced at him and he rubbed his neck. “Genji was saying that he named his ‘Taka’.”

Hanzo rolled her eyes and looked towards the star-speckled sky overhead. “He would happily tell you that he named his powerful dragon guardian ‘Hawk’,” she sighed.

“The Hawk and the Sparrow,” Genji huffed. “It was a brilliant idea.”

“Keep telling yourself that, _otouto_ ,” Hanzo shot him a smirk over the rim of her glass.

“Better than ‘North’ and ‘South’,” Genji huffed louder.

“They are perfectly acceptable names for dragons!” Hanzo huffed back. “And it honoured our traditions.”

“So are you going to tell us their names or just squabble back and forth?” McCree smirked as he poured himself another glass of rum and coke.

“Kita and Minami,” Hanzo grumbled.

“Cute,” McCree snorted, but Genji saw a flicker of familiarity in his eyes. Interesting. “For giant ethereal monsters that could tear my head off.”

“They wouldn’t,” Hanzo waved her hand and set her empty glass down. “You are an ally; they would never harm you.”

Genji felt Reinhardt and McCree’s gaze move to him and he made a quick “cease” motion with his hand. He did not want to deal with that right now. He could tell that Hanzo was feeling good after one glass of liquor and if she started knocking back shots of whiskey it could turn ugly fast. It would either be nonstop tears or bloody, broken knuckles. Both extremes were not something anyone wanted. They both wisely let the subject drop as Hanzo sipped from her gourd.

“So you’re washing the rum down with sake?” Reinhardt chuckled.

“Mmm, water,” Hanzo shook her head and set the gourd back on her hip. “Sake is in the white gourd.”

“You have them colour coded?” McCree grinned.

“Of course,” Hanzo wrinkled her nose and wagged her glass at McCree to fill it with whiskey. “Gourds are difficult to clean on good days; mix in alcohol and it’s a nightmare. I would rather not accidentally get intoxicated because I drank some red wine that was left at the bottom when all I needed was a few mouthfuls of water.”

“You have a gourd for different types of wine?”

“When I’m feeling particularly high classed, I enjoy drinking red wine,” Hanzo lifted her head. “Good strong stuff, not that fruity junk that is trotted out at dinner parties for ladies to twitter over.”

“I…wouldn’t know about that,” McCree coughed.

“Plebeian,” Hanzo clucked her tongue and Genji let out a snort of laughter.

“Throwing big words around the cowboy might not be the best idea,” he teased.

“Hey! I know what that word means,” McCree glared at him. “What drink do you like, Genji?”

Genji accepted the terrible attempt to get back on subject and folded his fingers together. “Triple distilled motor oil, even if it does make me piss like a racehorse afterwards,” he said in his best sage voice.

Hanzo covered her mouth just in time to keep herself from spraying whiskey all over the table. She threw her head back and laughed, shoulders and chest shaking. It wasn’t really a funny joke, but it was supposed to be a silly answer; he couldn’t drink motor oil because he still had a human gut. Genji glanced at his sister, visor brightening in delight.

“You had a few drinks before coming out here,” he said.

“Only one,” Hanzo clucked her tongue and wrinkled her nose.

“Chugging your sake does not constitute one drink,” Genji dimmed his visor. “How much did you have?”

Hanzo smacked her lips and looked skyward again. “I need more sake,” she admitted.

“What?!” Genji demanded, twisting in his seat to shove her shoulder roughly. “Hanzo!”

“There was enough for two glasses! I needed something to steel my nerves!” Hanzo shoved back, her fingers slipping a little on his shoulder.

“You were scared to come apologize?” McCree smirked. “I didn’t think I was that intimidatin’, darlin’.”

“It incident happened two weeks ago,” Hanzo grumbled into her glass. “And it’s hard to admit when I’m wrong, okay?”

“Where’s a recorder when you need one?” Genji demanded. “I need to save that for the next time she is terribly, terribly wrong.”

He ducked the terrible swing his sister aimed at him and laughed as she sprawled against him. He wondered vaguely if she was playing up how drunk she was, wanting an excuse to be foolish with her brother so that she could still hold onto some shred of dignity in the morning. That momentary reflection vanished as Commander Reyes dropped down on the bench beside McCree, shoving him over so she could fit.

Genji’s jaw opened in surprise as he stared at the commander. Her curly, black hair was growing out and she had it pulled back into a sloppy ponytail at the top of her head. Sweat was glistening along her face, neck, and the small swell of her chest that poked out over the top of her black muscle shirt. Her dark eyes were dancing with amusement as McCree grumbled at her and rubbed his shoulder where she had shoved him.

“So, what are we squawking about?” she asked.

“Hanzo is drunk,” Reinhardt laughed.

“Oh dear,” Commander Morrison said as he sat down beside Genji. “Should I tell Angela to have a hangover remedy waiting in the morning?”

Commander Morrison was just as sweaty as Reyes, but he was pink in the face on top of it. His blue jogging shirt was a little tight and Genji shifted his thigh away from the straining black track pants his commander was wearing. Morrison ruffled his blond hair free of moisture as Hanzo let out a soft “tch”.

“I know how to handle my own hangovers, Commader,” she said. “I’m not a teenager.”

“You never got hangovers anyways,” Genji grumbled. “You would down more sake than anyone else at a party and wake up with the sun without as much as a groan of pain. Me? I so much as smelt liquor and I’d be out until noon with a headache that would kill a god.”

Hanzo made a gentle clicking noise with her tongue and reached up to grab one of the horns on Genji’s helmet. She moved his head gently, teasing him about his delicate tummy as she readjusted herself on his shoulder. She lifted her feet up onto the bench and rested her whole weight against him. A happy thrill coursed through his body as he wrapped an arm around his sister.

She might have been drunk, but it was good to see her relaxing in company other than his own.

* * *

 

Jack watched the Shimadas as another round of drinks were poured. Hanzo seemed to be controlling herself a little more, sipping her whiskey rather than knocking it back the way that McCree and Gabriel did. Genji seemed to be getting drunk off of everyone else’s fumes, laughing and joking with Gabriel as easily as old comrades.

The companionship was good for all of them. He knew how hard some of the new recruits tried to find their place on base and no one was as out of water as Hanzo. Watching her joke and laugh with Reinhardt and make passing flirting comments to McCree that could just as easily be simple statements was a good sign.

He glanced at Gabriel whenever conversation lulled for a moment and her dark eyes met his. She was enjoying herself, smiling and laughing without needing to cause bodily harm to McCree whenever he said something stupid. Reinhardt seemed to be doing that for her, gently bopping McCree over the head whenever he said something off-colour that went a step too far.

Music started drifting out of the windows above them. He didn’t recognize most of the tunes, but Gabriel tapped her fingers along to the beat, twirling her fingers along the wooden picnic table as if they were dancing. McCree seemed too drunk to notice, paying more attention to Hanzo than to what the tune was. Reinhardt hummed his own songs, sipping the same drink he had when Jack sat down. The Shimadas were both listening intently.

A long strain of guitar chords drifted through the air and Genji started singing. Jack almost jumped in surprise, more because Genji was singing beautifully in English and to a Country song from the turn of the millennium than anything else. He had not been expecting that at all. Hanzo was swaying slowly to the tune, her eyes closed as Genji sang.

_“She put him out, like the burning end of a midnight cigarette._

_She broke his heart. He spent his whole life trying to forget._

_We watched him drink his pain away a little at a time, but he never could get drunk enough to get her off his mind until the night…”_

Everyone’s jaw hit the table as Hanzo added her voice to Genji’s, their words twisting into the chorus as easily as if they had rehearsed for days. Jack shot Gabriel a look and he saw the look of pure delight on her face as she watched the siblings sing.

 _“He put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger,”_ they sang together.

_“And finally drank away her memory._

_Life is short but this time it was bigger than the strength he had to get up off his knees._

_We found him with his face down in the pillow with a note that said ‘I love her ‘til I die’._

_And when we buried him beneath the willow, the angels sang a whiskey lullaby.”_

They sang a few lines of a wordless lullaby before falling silent, listening for their next cue.

“ _The rumors flew, but nobody knew how much she blamed herself._

 _For years and years, she tried to hide the whiskey on her breath_ ,” Hanzo sang while Genji fell silent.

“ _She final drank her pain away a little at a time,_

 _But she never could get drunk enough to get him off her mind until the night_ ….”

Genji added his voice again, resting his forehead against Hanzo’s as they sang the chorus again.

_“She put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger._

_And finally drank away his memory._

_Life is short, but this time it was bigger than the strength she had to get up off her knees._

_We found her with her face down in the pillow, clinging to his picture for dear life._

_We laid her next to him beneath the willow while the angels sang a whiskey lullaby.”_

Jack felt tears burning in his eyes as the words poured over him. The soft sniff from Reinhardt reassured him that he wasn’t the only one getting teary-eyed from the tragic duet. Gabriel had closed her eyes, moving her head slowly to the voices. McCree was staring at Hanzo as if she had donned Angela’s Valkyrie suit and was preparing to lift away into the heavens.

The song came to a close with the Shimadas singing several refrains of the sweet wordless lullaby. When they stopped, the table applauded. Hanzo’s face turned a soft shade of pink and she started playing with the ankle of her right boot.

“Where did you learn that song?” Gabriel asked.

“Our mother thought it was adorable when we sang together,” Hanzo rolled her eyes. “We know just about every Country duet from the last century, a good deal of Pop songs, and because I let this _manuke_ talk me into it, a few metal duets.”

“Okay, now I have to hear you sing a metal song,” McCree grinned.

“Not on your life, cowboy,” Hanzo snorted.

There was a gleam in her eyes that Jack found amusing. It was the kind of look Gabriel would have gotten before the SEP if someone told her she couldn’t do something.

“Oh come on; you can’t tell a guy something like that and then withhold it!” he pouted.

“You don’t know my sister very well, McCree-san,” Genji laughed. “She is incredibly stubborn. It is the main reason she is still single. OW!”

“Next time you want to insult me, _otouto_ , don’t leave your back exposed,” Hanzo growled as she pulled her fingers out of the space between Genji’s armor.

Genji grumbled something in Japanese and the only word that Jack caught was “ _ijiwaru_ ”, which earned him another poke between the plating. He yelped in pain and wiggled to get away, but sprawled out in Jack’s lap instead, leaving him vulnerable for Hanzo to pounce.

“Oiy, oiy!” Jack yelped as Genji started flailing against him. “There’s a, ow! Bruise there! Okay, kids, on the ground!”

He shoved both of them off of his lap and they tumbled to the flagstone. It didn’t seem to deter them; Hanzo continued tickling at Genji’s exposed seams and Genji wriggled like his life depended on it. His fingers scraped uselessly at the ground as Hanzo pinned him down on his stomach, her fingers relentlessly tickling over his armor. Reinhardt roared with laughter while McCree just stared with a goofy grin on his face.

“Hold tightly, Hanzo-san! He is like a greased pig!” Reinhardt howled.

“Ha-ha-ha, stop!” Genji wailed as he tried to get away from his sister’s fingers. “I’m going to overheat! HA!”

“You aren’t even that warm,” Hanzo snorted as she continued tickling him. “Little _warugaki_.”

She stopped a few seconds later and rose to her feet. She sat down beside Jack, fixing her hair as Genji slumped against the ground. His vents opened loudly, the cylinders popping up to cool him faster. He rolled slowly onto his back and lifted his head to glare at Hanzo.

“That was low,” he growled.

“Is the little Sparrow twittering?” Hanzo asked with a sweet flutter of her eyelashes. “Do speak up; I can barely hear what you’re saying over the sound of you losing to a superior fighter.”

Genji’s visor dimmed and Jack scrambled out of the way as the ninja pounced. Hanzo slipped out from under him, laughing as he bounced off the table to chase her. Jack glanced towards Gabriel, but she was already on her feet, moving fluidly around the table to help Genji grab his sister. Hanzo gasped as she was grabbed, struggling as her arms were pinned behind her back.

“Now, now, Hanzo, it’s only fair,” Gabriel chided as Hanzo struggled.

“Oh no,” Hanzo growled as she tried to wiggle her way free.

“Your assistance is appreciated, Commander,” Genji huffed as he stalked over. “Let’s see if you’re still ticklish, _oneesan_.”

“Don’t you dare,” Hanzo growled before she started squealing with laughter as Genji’s fingers moved rapidly over her stomach.

Jack shook his head in amusement as Hanzo’s laughter filled the courtyard. A few heads poked out of the windows overhead, but they retreated when Jack waved at them. Reinhardt was laughing again, pounding the table while McCree covered his face to hide his barks of laughter.

Gabriel let Hanzo go and she immediately tackled her brother, growling viciously as they tumbled backwards. Jack turned at the sound of footsteps and a wave of relief washed through him at the sight of the woman striding towards him. Hanzo and Genji continued struggling on the ground while Reinhardt cheered them on, leaving Gabriel and Jack to greet Ana Amari.

“What did I walk in on?” Ana asked as Gabriel clapped her shoulder.

“Just some bonding time,” Jack reassured them. A rapid string of Japanese curses screamed by a woman’s voice made him turn around. “Don’t make me throw the both of you in the brig to cool off,” he warned.

“He’s the one with his foot in my side!” Hanzo shouted back.

“Yes, like you’re fighting any less dirty, Hanzo!” Genji snapped back.

“Do the children need a time out?” Ana asked, trailing a finger slowly over her dart gun.

“Less booze, apparently,” Gabriel chuckled.

“I’m sober!” Genji shouted before yelping. “Hey, hey, not the chest! I need that to breathe!”

“ _Yowamushi_ ,” Hanzo growled.

Ana cocked her head to the side. “You aren’t going to step in?”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen them laughing like this,” Gabriel said softly. “Looks a lot worse than it is.”

“The Shimadas?” Ana asked. “Surprised you managed to convince the girl to join.” Her eyes narrowed. “You blackmailed her, didn’t you?”

“Guilt-tripped,” Gabriel shrugged. “Saved McCree’s ass in the long run. Hey, keep it above the belt you two!”

“Reinhardt,” Jack called.

“On it,” Reinhardt chuckled as he climbed to his feet.

He easily pulled Hanzo off of her brother, holding Genji at bay with one hand as he hoisted Hanzo up onto his shoulder. They both growled and hissed like cats before they admitted defeat, glaring at each other like the entire situation was the other person’s fault.

“Charming first impression,” Ana shook her head and waved at McCree as he enthusiastically waved at her.

“You’ll like Hanzo when she’s sober,” Gabriel teased. “A charming girl with a smile like the north wind; cold and willing to tear the skin off your face.”

Ana lifted an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. “There is something worth drinking here, right?” she asked. “I get the feeling I’m going to need a lot of it.”

“I have a feeling you’re right,” Jack chuckled as Hanzo leaned against Reinhardt’s head and stuck her tongue out at Genji.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of the Japanese swear words I found are all from one source; I have no idea if they're right or not, so feel free to correct me.
> 
> Manuke - clueless, loser  
> Ijiwaru - malicious, spiteful, bitchy  
> Warugaki - brat, bad child  
> Yowamushi - wimp, coward
> 
> The song Hanzo and Genji sing is "Whiskey Lullaby" by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss. It's a really sad and beautiful song and I love it to pieces.


	10. Chapter 9

“It’s called ‘conscription’,” Reyes smirked at Hanzo. “Welcome to the team for a little while.”

Hanzo did her best not to bristle as she was all but dragged into the briefing room by the enormous woman. She spotted several other Overwatch agents hunkered down between the grim-faced Blackwatch agents, but did not feel much better about the situation. “Conscription” had never been a good word to hear; it always involved getting roped into scenarios that she wished to never be a part of. She wiggled free of Gabriel’s grasp and dropped into the empty chair beside McCree, nodding her head curtly to him when he tipped his hat.

“This happens from time to time,” he murmured as Reyes walked to the head of the table.

“I figured as much when Commander Morrison did not pitch a fit when she walked in and grabbed me,” she growled.

Commander Morrison certainly hadn’t looked impressed to have his training interrupted, but he hadn’t argued when Reyes walked over to Hanzo and told her to follow her. Genji had given her a curious head-tilt, but had returned his attention to the plasma rifle in his hand that Morrison was trying very hard to get him to fire properly.

“Let’s not mince words,” Reyes snorted as she dropped herself into her chair at the head of the table. “This is a Blackwatch operation and I would prefer to have only Blackwatch agents with me. However, our numbers are disgustingly low and I need good soldiers watching my agents’ backs. So congratulations everyone; you’re temporary a part of Blackwatch; give yourself a pat on the back.” Her dark eyes swept over the room before she leaned forward. “Alright, pleasantries aside. Nothing that is said in this room leaves it, understood? I hear one single word flying around base about the nature of this operation and I’ll make a new coat out of your hide, got it?”

The room nodded. The Blackwatch agents seemed to understand what was at stake, but the Overwatch agents exchanged nervous glances. Hanzo kept her eyes on Reyes, refusing to let anything get to her. If nothing else, this mission would help her make her decision about joining the damn splinter group.

And keep her away from Genji as the damnable anniversary loomed closer.

“Good. Here’s what we know,” Reyes snorted.

Images appeared above the table and Reyes jabbed her finger at it. She explained the layout of the facility they were hitting; a Vishkar building of some repute in the northern part of Germany; going over in great detail the number of rooms on each floor, what they were prioritizing with their staff, and how many mercenaries and special unit soldiers were expected to be there.

“We’ll be working in groups of five,” Gabriel continued. “Most of you will just be running distractions, keeping the heat off of those of us with the real objectives, but don’t for one fucking minute think that you can goof off. You piss around and someone in another group could wind up dead. This is a team effort, so don’t play heroes.”

She brought up a list of names and started reading off the groups and their objectives. Most of the objectives were, as she said, basic things; secure a room, destroy equipment, secure a menial piece of evidence; but one or two groups comprised only of Blackwatch agents had real objectives; secure a Vishkar employee, hack a network, or anything else that seemed borderline illegal.

“McCree, you’re leading a team with Lin, Katrina, Grayson, and Hanzo,” Reyes said as she changed the layout of the building. “Take your team through this area and secure every room. Expect heavy opposition and show them no clemency. There’s an elevator at the end of this hallway that will take you down into a parking garage. I’ve had some agents secure a pick-up truck and they’ll have it parked and ready for your extraction. It’s stick-shift.”

“Dibs!” a skinny man with cruel brown eyes shouted.

“All yours,” a woman with graying brown hair snorted.

“Try not to blow it up, Lin” McCree grimaced.

“Taking all the fun out of it already, Captain?” the skinny man pouted.

“I happen to like my flesh not burned to a crisp,” McCree grimaced.

“It is a most unpleasant way to die,” Hanzo agreed as she mapped the route they were supposed to take.

She felt a few eyes on her, but most of the Blackwatch agents grumbled in agreement. She hadn’t thought she had said anything surprising, but perhaps there were those that did not think she should know such things. Best not to let them know how many people she had watched burn on her father’s orders and how many she had personally doused in gasoline.

Reyes read off the last few groups before she got to her feet. “Get your gear and meet me in the training room. We’ll be running simulations on the building for the next few weeks. We are going to get this right the first time and not be colossal fuck-ups; got it?”

“Understood, Commander Reyes, sir!” the Blackwatch agents shouted in unison.

Hanzo did her best not to wince at the noise as she rose to her feet. She followed McCree out of the room, running a hand through her hair as three other agents trailed after them. McCree turned to look at them, hands on his hips, and a strangely serious expression on his face.

It took sheer force of will to keep herself from walking over and teasing the soul-patch on his chin. McCree’s face just wasn’t made for being serious and it was a shame not to see him smile.

She had it so bad for the cowboy and she knew it. Hell, she had even let him hear her sing; she hadn’t sang in years! None of her previous lovers had even known she could sing and he knew and appreciated it. What was wrong with her? She wasn’t some teenager, but she was certainly starting to act like a love-sick high schooler.

“Okay, get your shit and meet on the left-hand side of the doors in the training room,” McCree instructed. “We’re only running interference, keeping the heat off of Gabe’s backside, but Hanzo’s never worked with us before.”

“Don’t think she’s going to have a problem keeping up,” a tall man snorted and looped his thick arms over his chest.

“Point still stands, Grayson,” McCree shot him a smirk. “This isn’t an Overwatch operation; we don’t play nicely with the fuckers that get in our way.”

Hanzo did her best not to smile cruelly at that statement. That was certainly more her style than the “protect the civilians” stance that Morrison took. Not that she was against protecting the innocent bystanders, but she wanted a chance to let loose on something that wasn’t training drones.

They split up to get their gear and when they regrouped, Hanzo was the only one in work-out gear rather than mission gear. She felt a little foolish standing in a t-shirt and sweat pants while the rest of her team was wearing their body armor.

“Well, I feel underdressed,” she grumbled as she toyed with Storm Bow’s string.

“You have half your side hanging out anyways,” Lin snorted. “Bit of an improvement, actually.”

Hanzo glared at him and was more than a little glad when McCree smacked the man over the head.

“Let’s not insult the lady that can shoot two giant dragons out of her bow,” McCree snorted. “She can wear whatever the hell she wants so long as it keeps me from getting munched.” He glanced at her and smirked. “I’ll ask Commander Reyes to get some body armor for you. Cloth isn’t going to stop a bullet.”

“Under normal circumstances, I would tell you that they would have to find me first,” Hanzo shrugged a shoulder. “However, unless one of you wants to act as a meat shield, I’m going to be in the open taking pot-shots.”

“I don’t love anyone enough to be a meat shield,” the woman snorted and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Exactly,” Hanzo inclined her head politely.

Reyes stormed into the training room decked out in full black and gray body armor with Reinhardt on her heels. “Okay people, form up and get ready to work!”

* * *

 

McCree had led teams on Blackwatch missions before. He had worked with Lin and Katrina lots of times; Lin was a loose cannon, but a shove in the right direction kept him moving and Katrina was old but more than a match for most mercenaries. He wasn’t sure about how well Grayson was going to work with Lin’s unpredictability; the field medic cut an imposing figure, perfect for hauling comrades off the field as fast as possible; but he had no doubts about his abilities. It was Hanzo that he was having a hard time with.

Not because she wasn’t following orders; she reacted faster to his voice than Katrina did. No, the issue was her grabbing people by the scruff without warning and pulling them to the ground to avoid getting winged by laserfire. It was throwing them all off, especially Lin, the pyromaniac with a flair for the dramatic.

“Stop doing that!” Lin shouted as Hanzo yanked him down behind cover to avoid getting shot in the face. “I can see the enemy fire just fine!”

“Then stop dancing in front of their lasers!” Hanzo snarled in return.

“They wouldn’t get a chance to shoot if you stopped moving us!” Lin snarled right back, hoisting himself onto his hands and knees and trying to loom over her. “God DAMN woman; we know what we’re doing!”

“Lin, Hanzo, move!” McCree shouted. “Clear the room and cover our six!”

Hanzo bolted over the wall and released a Scatter Arrow into the room. The bits ricocheted into the training drones, dropping them to the ground so the rest of the team could bolt forward. She twisted without a word, dropping to her knees to shoot another drone while Lin lobbed a fake Molotov cocktail at the remaining drones, cackling wildly as they went up in “flames”.

“On the door! Breach in five!” McCree shouted.

Lin slapped the bomb onto the holographic door and they all braced against the walls. The explosion rang out and Lin led the way into the next room. McCree followed with Hanzo on his heels while Katrina and Grayson brought up the rear. They secured the room and waited for the simulation to end. They were panting and glaring at Hanzo, who was stubbornly staring at her feet.

“Simulation ended,” Nox said. “Calculating results now.” He was silent for a few minutes as the simulation shut down around them. “First two primary objectives complete with minimal injuries. However, the extended time and unnecessary firefights resulted in additional forces being summoned for all other parties.”

“Fuck,” McCree groaned and rubbed at his neck.

“If someone had let us do our job,” Lin snarled at Hanzo.

“If you had stopped dancing in front of the drones, I wouldn’t have to constantly save your ass,” Hanzo snapped, bristling at the accusation.

“We’re the professionals here, Shimada,” Lin growled. “You do what we say, not the other way around.”

“I would listen if you actually said something half-way intelligent!” Hanzo rolled her eyes. “Commander Reyes said that there are no heroes, but you all seem determined to show off.”

“It’s a training simulation,” Grayson sighed. “Of course we’re going to act up.”

“Oh, so I’m the problem because I’m taking this seriously?” Hanzo rounded on him.

“Enough,” McCree growled and put himself between Grayson and Hanzo before anything happened. He could see the murder in both of their eyes and he did not need bloodshed less than an hour into his leadership. “It’s the first run; we’ll do better next time. Besides,” he threw a grin at Hanzo, “if things get to hairy, you can just send your dragons into the fray.”

Hanzo’s features darkened. “No, I cannot,” she snapped.

“You did it in Italy,” he pointed out.

“That was a dire circumstance,” Hanzo shook her head. “Unless you feel like carrying me through the base, I cannot use them.”

“Carry you?” Katrina asked, lifting an eyebrow at her.

“They syphon my strength to augment their own when they breach the ether,” Hanzo shook her head. “In their current state, I can barely stand after summoning them. They are extremely destructive, yes; but the cost is just as high for me.”

“I have healing staff; I can get you on your feet in no time,” Katrina smirked. “Problem solved.”

Hanzo narrowed her eyes, but looked away. “This isn’t a power that should be abused,” she growled.

“Is there a reason you lot aren’t moving?” Gabriel demanded as she stormed over. “Your simulation is over and now you’re just getting in the way of the next run.”

“Apologies, Commander,” McCree saluted. “We were just discussing our short-comings.”

“Short-comings?” Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you mean Hanzo constantly saving your asses because you’ve forgotten that you’re Blackwatch and not Overwatch?”

McCree caught Hanzo out of the corner of his eye mouthing “thank you” while moving her hand to the side. He almost laughed at her bitter expression, but kept himself calm under Gabriel’s annoyed gaze.

“It was the first run, Commander,” he repeated. “We’ll do better next time.”

“Is that what you’re going to say when we’re in the building, Jesse?” Gabriel asked sweetly. “Oh, it’s okay Lin; we’ll do better next time. So sorry about your face, Grayson; we’ll do better next time. You look good without that hand, Katrina; we’ll do better next time.” She loomed over him and hissed in a low voice. “Sorry, Hanzo, that you’re lying in a pool of your own blood; we’ll do better next time.”

McCree looked at his boots and did his best to stay firm. Gabriel was right, but he wasn’t sure how to acknowledge it without throwing everyone under the bus. Gabriel growled at him before roughly wrenching his chin up to meet her gaze.

“You are the Captain, Jesse; this isn’t a game we’re playing to see who gets the high score and highest kill count. Every run of this simulation should be treated like the real thing,” she said. There was a hint of affection in her voice, but it was hard to make out over the condescending growl. “Keep your team under wraps, listen to their suggestions, and don’t let anyone play hero.”

“Understood, Commander,” he said. “It won’t happen again.”

“Good,” Gabriel smirked before she pressed her lips against his temple. “Now get the fuck out of the way.”

McCree backed up and signalled for everyone to follow him. Gabriel was shouting for the next team to line up, forgetting about them for the time being. Hanzo walked at his heels, her presence comforting even though she looked ready to tear their heads off.

Seating himself on the bench, he let out a long sigh. “Okay, team talk,” he grumbled as he ran his hand through his hair. “What’s the biggest issue we had in that sim?”

“Everyone show-dogging,” Hanzo snorted as she folded her legs under her and sat on the ground facing him.

“Hanzo playing rescue when that’s Katrina and Grayson’s job,” Lin growled as he sat down beside McCree.

Grayson and Katrina grumbled their agreement as they settled down on McCree’s other side. He did his best not to rub at his eyes in frustration. This is what happened when Blackwatch worked with Overwatch; they ganged up on the outsider.

“Nox, can you bring up a hologram of the simulation we just ran?” Hanzo asked.

“Of course; I can also provide video replay of the run if you need additional assistance sorting yourselves out,” Nox replied.

A hologram emitter unfurled from the ground and displayed an interactive blueprint of the simulation. Hanzo reached out and manipulative the image until they were outside the first door that they had to breach. She tapped two markers onto the image and looked at McCree pointedly through the blue hologram.

“This is where our first mistake was,” she said. “You had Grayson and Lin breach the door. Grayson is our healer; he shouldn’t be anywhere near the door.”

“I can handle myself,” Grayson growled.

“That’s not the point,” Hanzo rolled her eyes. “Commander Reyes….”

“Gabriel; she’s not going to pull rank when she can’t hear you,” Katrina smirked.

Hanzo threw her a cold glare. “Commander Reyes,” she continued, “assigned two healers to each group. Yes, you can shoot a gun, but you shouldn’t be the first one into the room or anywhere near the door when it’s breached. If we lose both of you we’re all fucked, to put it bluntly.”

McCree rubbed at his chin. “She has a point,” he said as he reached out and fiddled with the hologram. “Okay, next run I want Katrina and Grayson on the far left of the door. Lin and I will breach and Hanzo will send a Scatter Arrow in.”

Hanzo frowned at the set up before she moved herself away from McCree on the left and beside Lin on the right. “I have better line of sight here,” she explained.

“Lin should duck out of the way too,” Katrina said as she moved the marker for Lin back a pace. “Those Scatter Arrows ping off of everything and I was almost nicked a few times.”

“Apologies.”

“I’ve had worse hit me on a mission,” Katrina waved her hand dismissively.

“So Hanzo fires an arrow and then what?” Lin demanded.

“You and I go in once they’ve stopped bouncing,” McCree nodded. “Katrina and Grayson provide coverfire.”

“And Robin Hood here?” Lin jerked his head at Hanzo.

Hanzo squinted at the blueprint before she moved her marker to the ceiling inside the room. “There’s a light fixture here that should bear my weight and give me enough room to provide coverfire as well.”

“That’s if there’s anyone still standing,” McCree nodded. “Okay, so we clear this room, breach the next door and do it again. No blowing up walls without reason, Lin.”

“Gave her cover, didn’t it?” Lin snorted.

“Also ran the risk of bringing the room above us down on our heads,” Grayson shook his head.

“Bah!”

“I don’t feel like getting trapped under rubble,” McCree grimaced. “So we clear out the next room, breach that door, and continue down the hallway to the elevator, get to the parking garage and tear out of there like five bats out of hell.” He glanced up in time to swear. “Fuck, HIT THE DECK!”

All five of them scrambled out of the way as Reinhardt charged towards them with a training drone stuck to the front of him. He slammed into the wall behind where McCree had been sitting, crushing the drone into tiny pieces and destroying the bench.

“Oops,” Reinhardt apologized as he took a step back. He pulled his helmet off and looked at them with concern. “I didn’t hit anyone, did I?”

“Nope,” McCree coughed as he sat up. “Forgot that the walls were holograms, big guy?”

“Yes,” Reinhardt coughed into his hand. “Oh…Hanzo, your arrows.”

“That’s a pain in the ass,” Hanzo grumbled as she grimaced at the broken shafts littering the floor. She sighed and scooped her arrows up, shaking her head as she surveyed the damage. “I need to go fix these,” she sighed as she fit them back into her quiver.

“Go ahead,” McCree nodded. “Don’t think we’re going to get a chance to have another run today anyways.”

Hanzo grimaced as Gabriel came storming over and quickly excused herself. McCree braced himself for the shouting as Reinhardt ducked his head like a cowed dog.

* * *

 

Jack looked up from his meal as an argument broke out at the Blackwatch tables. Gabriel turned around to look, wiping a bit of spaghetti sauce off of her lip. Hanzo and another Overwatch agent were shouting at each other, faces inching closer while the rest of the table egged them on. Jack glanced at Gabriel before he got to his feet.

“Oiy!” he shouted as he headed over.

“…life matters!” the other agent snapped.

“That’s not our concern. If they level a gun at you, are you going to surrender right there?” Hanzo demanded.

“I’m not killing a bystander! It’s not their fault they got wrapped up in this bullshit!”

“Did you even read the mission notes? There are no bystanders where we’re going,” Hanzo snarled.

“Oh yes, because a janitor is so evil and totally in on the corruption,” the other agent sneered. “Or does their life mean nothing to you, assassin?”

“You say that like I’m supposed to be insulted,” Hanzo laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “You’re the soldier, Garret; you should be used to collateral damage by now.”

“Do I have to raise my voice again?” Jack demanded.

Garret flinched and looked away, grumbling as the rest of the table let out whines of disappointment. He saw a few dollars changing hands, but chose to ignore it. He didn’t understand the comradery of Blackwatch most days and he wasn’t about to start now.

“You know that there are to be no fights in the mess hall,” Jack crossed his arms over his chest. “You want to settle this, take it outside.”

“It’s piss pouring rain!” Garret grimaced.

“Are you made of sugar?” Hanzo asked sweetly. “I’ve hunted scarier things than you in weather like this.”

“No good Yakuza…,” Garret started growling before Jack cut him off.

“Both of you, out,” he ordered. “Go settle this petty squabble somewhere else.”

Hanzo rose to her feet and dusted her pants off. “Meet you at the flagpole,” she said sweetly before she turned and strode out of the room.

Garret got to his feet and gave Jack an uneasy glance. “She shouldn’t be here,” he said quietly. “She doesn’t give a damn about any of us.”

“Move,” Jack growled.

Garret shuffled past him, head bowed as he left the room.

“Just had to ruin the fun, huh boss?” Trice sighed.

“I don’t need a fight breaking out in here,” Jack shot the man a glare. “And I know how eager you lot are to join in a fight. Finish your meal and leave.”

He got a soft chorus of “yes sir” from the agents before they returned to their quiet meal. Jack returned to his seat, ignoring Gabriel’s smirk.

“You’re so scary when you’re disappointed,” she teased.

“Eat your darts,” he grumbled as he spun his fork in his spaghetti.

“Rather eat it off of you,” she purred.

His pants tightened at the thought, but he shook his head. “Not in the mood.”

Gabriel frowned and leaned forward. “That discussion upset you that much?” she asked gently. “Jack, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“I don’t like discussions of collateral damage in the mess hall,” Jack murmured. “Please, just drop the subject.”

Gabriel’s eyes watched him for a long time before she smiled. She reached across the table and settled her massive hand over his. She gently picked his hand up and brought it across the table to her mouth, kissing comfortingly across his knuckles and into his palm.

“I love you,” she cooed.

He smiled. “Still not in the mood.”

She laughed and kissed his palm, nuzzling it affectionately. “You are such a dork, Jack Morrison.”

They finished their meal in peaceful silence, holding hands across the table and ignoring some of the groans that the others in the mess hall gave at the sight. They parted ways, Gabriel to go read over some new reports on the operation she was training for and put order forms in to repair some of the areas of the base that Nox said needed immediate attention. Jack set off to check on Hanzo and Garret.

He found Garret in one of the rec rooms playing with the pinball machine. He claimed that he didn’t know where Hanzo was and Jack was inclined to believe him since he wasn’t sporting a black eye or a broken nose. He returned to his room and grabbed his leather jacket, the one that Gabriel teased was far too patriotic for his own good, pulling it on as he headed for the doors to the base.

Hanzo had said something about a flagpole, right? He had assumed that she was joking, but since he couldn’t find her anywhere, it was as good a place to start as any.

“Commander Morrison?” Nox called. “Hanzo just stepped out on to the roof.”

“What is she doing up there?” Jack asked as he immediately started back-tracking through the base.

“If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say she is hoping to get struck by lightning.”

Jack sped up and hurried through the door that led up to the roof. He was buffeted by wind and rain as soon as he stepped outside. He lifted his arm to block his face from the rain and squinted to where he could see Hanzo standing. Her gold scarf was fluttering in the wind and her face was turned towards the sky. She was soaked; if he didn’t get her inside she was bound to get hypothermia. April rains were always miserably cold in Gibraltar.

“Hanzo!” he shouted as he walked forward.

She turned towards him, but her brown eyes were unfocused. She smiled, but it was completely unhinged. She was not entirely present and that worried him. Was she reliving a traumatic moment in her life?

“Don’t you know I’m a monster?” she asked as he approached. Her head tilted slowly to the side. “Everyone’s been saying it. Garret, Ash, Trice, Lotus, Lin, even McCree although he won’t say it to my face, the bastard.”

“You aren’t a monster, Hanzo,” Jack soothed as he reached for her. “Come back inside. You’ll catch your death out here.”

“I would deserve it,” Hanzo laughed. It was a broken sound, something that didn’t belong to her. “After everything I’ve done, I deserve it.”

“Hanzo,” he sighed as he rested a hand on her shoulder.

“I killed my brother,” she said. “What sort of sick person kills their own sibling?”

“Genji’s alive.”

“Is he?” Hanzo spat. Her eyes seemed to focus in on him for a moment before they grew distant again. “I took everything from him. I loved him with all my heart and I tore him to pieces because I was told to. I kill people and don’t feel a thing. I don’t regret their deaths. I’m as cold and unfeeling as ice.”

She let out a choked sob and Jack carefully wrapped his arms around her. She sagged against him, hiding her face in his chest. He ran his hand soothingly over her back, not letting her feel for a moment that she was a burden.

“Do you regret hurting Genji?” he asked.

“Every day,” she whispered. “Every fucking day.”

“Then you are not cold and unfeeling, Hanzo,” he smiled. “Come on, let’s get you inside.”

“Cold,” she murmured against his chest.

“Hang on,” he soothed as he shifted back to pull his jacket off.

He draped his jacket across her shoulders, tucking her into it to ward off the rain. She pulled his patriotic jacket close, tucking her face into the collar against the wind. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she swayed on the spot. Jack caught her before she fell, hoisting her up into his arms. She was a little bit heavier than he had expected, but still well within what he was capable of carrying.

She buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed, clinging to him like he was the only thing keeping her from falling into madness. Jack held her close as he walked back towards the stairwell, feeling something inside of him breaking at the sight of her. She was hurting and there was nothing he could do to help her.

“I am beyond redemption,” she sobbed as he descended the stairs.

“No one is beyond redemption,” he soothed. “You are here, that’s a step in the right direction.”

She was quiet for a moment. “Sometimes I wish…that I had drowned,” she whispered. “That I never found the surface. How much better would everyone’s life be if I never lived past ten?”

“You can’t know that,” he said as he stepped out into the hallway. “And you know that Genji would miss you.”

“One person out of millions,” she shook her head, pulling his jacket closer to her. “That does not mean anything.”

“I think Genji would be insulted if he heard you say that,” he teased as he headed for her room. “You know he thinks the world of you.”

“He was always too trusting,” she whispered. “Look where it got him. He trusted me more than anyone else in the world and I butchered him.”

Jack didn’t offer a reply as he punched in the override code for her door. He carried her inside and headed straight to the washroom. He set her down gently on the toilet seat, letting her curl into herself while he started the shower.

“Come on; let’s get you out of those wet clothes,” he soothed.

He carefully pulled his jacket off of her and set it down in the sink so it didn’t soak the floor. She stood up slowly and he helped peel her out of her t-shirt and sports bra. He marvelled at her tattoos, resisting the urge to trace the ink work, and helped her out of her track pants and underwear.

“That’s a lot of ink,” he smiled as she blinked up at him.

“Kita,” she touched the claw curling over her heart. “Minami,” she added as she touched her arm. “My guardians, although I am unworthy of them.”

“You’re a good person, Hanzo,” Jack soothed as he rested a hand on her shoulder. “You’ve isolated yourself for too long, that’s all.”

“I have done terrible things,” she murmured.

“So have I,” he smiled.

Her eyes seemed to snap into focus for a moment, seeing him clearly for the first time. She blinked up at him, took a step forward, and rested her head on his chest. She said something softly in Japanese; _oniichan;_ one of the few words he actually knew that made his heart swell, and slowly hooked her arms around his chest. He returned the hug, running his hand slowly over her hair and untying the scarf so that it had a chance to dry.

“Come on, into the shower,” he soothed.

He helped her under the spray and stepped back, letting her warm herself. He heard someone enter her quarters and poked his head out of the bathroom to see who it was. Genji stopped midstride, cocked his head to the side, and hurried over.

“Nox said that I should come see my sister,” he said as he approached. “Is she okay?”

“I think she’s having an…episode,” Jack replied quietly. “She’s in the shower now; I found her outside in the rain.” He frowned and shook his head. “She’s hurting something fierce.”

“She is,” Genji agreed, hanging his head. “I thought she was doing better, but there have been so many flare-ups that I’m afraid I’m going to lose her.”

“You won’t,” he promised. “I won’t let that happen.”

“Why?” Genji asked, resting a hand on one of his blades.

Jack glanced at the shower and could just vaguely make out Hanzo’s silhouette through the fogged up glass. He smiled and shook his head. Wasn’t this what big brothers were for?

“Don’t like seeing anyone get hurt,” he said instead. “I’ll leave you two alone. Don’t think I need to overstay my welcome.”

He picked his jacket up out of the sink and stepped out of the washroom. He took two steps past Genji and felt the cyborg’s hand rest on the crook of his arm.

“She won’t remember this in the morning,” Genji murmured. “She might remember a vague sensation, maybe warmth and protection, but she won’t remember you.”

“That’s probably for the best,” he sighed softly. “She’s a very proud person. Letting her commanding officer see her that vulnerable will not make her feel good. Will you tell her if she asks?”

“I might,” Genji shrugged. “It will depend on how she is feeling.”

“I can accept that,” he chuckled. “Good night, Genji.”

“Good night, Commander Morrison.”

Gabriel was leaning on the wall outside Hanzo’s room. He smiled at her and she fell into step beside him.

“She okay?” she asked quietly.

“I think she’ll be okay,” he nodded. “She just needs some time to calm down. She’s suffering from PTSD.”

“Aren’t we all?” Gabriel grimaced. “Poor thing.”

Jack nodded in agreement. “We really need to get psychologists on the base.”

“They never stick around,” Gabriel rolled her eyes. “You’d think that there would be someone that specializes in dealing with the horrors that soldiers have to put up with.”

“High Command doesn’t seem to think we need anyone that specialized,” Jack snorted. “Bunch of puffed up peacocks.”

“Oh, please keep talking dirty to me,” Gabriel purred and gave him a sultry look.

Jack shook his head and laughed. “You are so mature, Gabe.”

“And you’re a dork, so we’re even.”

He looked at her and smiled. “ _Cariño_ ,” he purred.

“Ugh,” she rolled her eyes playfully. “Your accent is terrible, _mi hombre hermoso_. Roll your damn ‘r’s.”

“Rrrrrr,” he did his best to roll the r and she almost doubled over with laughter.

Her mouth caught his before he could act. She grabbed his collar, dragging him close as she backed into her room. Her eyes danced as she pulled away, tugging him along in her wake.

“You are soaking wet, _mi amor_ ; let’s get you out of those wet clothes and into something much more comfortable,” she purred.

“Oh?” he smiled as she started pulling his shirt off of him. “And what do you have in mind?”

“Me,” she growled into his ear.

His pants became a lot tighter and harder to take off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo is a lot more screwed up then she lets herself on to be.


	11. Chapter 10

Hanzo ran scenario after scenario with her team, arguing time and again with McCree that no, she couldn’t just “unleash the dragon” in the middle of the fight. It would leave her vulnerable and unless he felt like hauling her ass out of the tight space they had to work in, he should drop it.

Commander Reyes had a similar opinion and chewed McCree out when he brought it up one too many times. “I need everyone at their full potential,” she snarled. “This is a team effort and I’ll drag each of your asses down to hell if you show one iota of trying to be a goddamn hero and get yourself injured in the process.”

This was a Blackwatch mission; there were no heroes allowed. This was dirty work, eliminating targets, extracting information, and getting particular items of interest back to the Watchpoint. Commander Reyes had chosen her teams carefully, balancing the more aggressive individuals with plenty of cover support and two healers to a unit. There was no room for mistakes, no time to hesitate. They were supposed to be the most deadly killers on the planet; Commander Reyes would allow nothing less.

Unfortunately, not everyone was able to handle the stress of the mission. Commander Morrison had already pulled four soldiers; Garret included; leaving Reyes scrambling to replace them. She was doubling their training time to compensate, struggling to get her replacements up to speed with the rest of them. Hanzo didn’t have to be too clever to know that a confrontation was coming.

She wasn’t expecting the volume, however. Most of the soldiers scrambled behind Reinhardt when Reyes raised her voice. Socket wrench in hand, Hanzo remained where she was tightening the bolts on her leg braces. Her ears were ringing as Morrison and Reyes’ voices bounced around the training room. Reyes was screaming insults in Spanish, jabbing her finger into Morrison’s chest. Morrison was growing more and more rigid as their argument showed no signs of slowing down.

Hanzo glanced at McCree and he frowned. He gave his head a quick shake, mouthing “don’t get involved” at her arched eyebrow. She looked at the screaming Commanders, saw that Reyes’ fists were shaking, and gave McCree an apologetic look. He moved to stop her, but she easily side-stepped him.

“Are you two done with your pissing contest or can we get back to training?” she yelled.

The room went dead silent. Morrison and Reyes turned to look at her, their faces mirrored disbelief. The Blackwatch agents were stiff, eyes wide and flicking nervously between the Commanders and Hanzo.

“Excuse me?” Reyes growled.

“Commander Morrison is in charge of the welfare of the Overwatch agents,” Hanzo set a hand on her hip. “We’re conscripted; this isn’t out normal routine. If he thinks we’re fraying too much at the edges, that’s his prerogative to pull us from the mission. It’s not convenient for you, but that’s not his problem.”

Reyes looked her up and down before a devilish smirk split her face. “Finish tightening those bolts, Shimada. Don’t want those things falling off while you’re running laps,” she said with false sweetness.

Hanzo looked at Morrison, not because she expected him to negate Reyes’ orders, but because she was waiting to see if he had anything to add. His blue eyes were hard and his mouth was set, but his hands were resting on his hips and not crossed over his chest.

“Keep running until Reyes tells you to stop,” he ordered.

Hanzo saluted and sat back down, working on tightening the last few bolts on her left leg. Morrison offered to find suitable replacements for the agents he pulled and Reyes graciously accepted, after calling Morrison “ _hijo de puta_ ”. Morrison left the training room with the latest soldier he had pulled from Reyes’ mission and the other agents returned to their simulations.

“If you had kept your mouth shut,” McCree sighed as he bent down to help her tighten the bolts around her ankles.

“They would have torn each other apart,” Hanzo shrugged. “Laps are a small price to pay for not having to clean Morrison’s blood off the walls.”

“Suit yourself,” McCree shook his head. “Have fun.”

Hanzo shook her head before she started jogging. Her braces were a little tight and her shins ached, but she stomped the feeling down. They would warm up. She hadn’t been sitting down long enough for them to be exhausted. She kept one eye on the simulations as she jogged around the room, picking up on small mistakes and how quickly Reyes was to correct them. She broke into a run as Reinhardt wound up his hammer and dove out of the way, rolling back to her feet as the massive knight tripped and smashed into the wall where she had been standing.

“I didn’t tell you to stop, Shimada,” Reyes shouted. “ _Qué chingados_ , Reinhardt; what the hell are you doing with that thing? You aren’t fucking Torbjörn, old man!”

Hanzo sucked air between her teeth and climbed to her feet. She dusted herself off, giving herself just enough time to catch her breath before she started jogging again.

She lost count of the laps she had ran. Her thighs were screaming in pain and her lungs were burning for air, but she forced herself to keep going. She slowed her speed, trotting along more often than jogging, but Reyes didn’t seem to care so long as she was moving.

Pain suddenly laced its way up the length of her right leg and she screamed. She dropped to the ground, grabbing onto her right ankle and clawing at the thing sending spikes of electricity deep into her muscles. She flailed on the ground, shrieking in pain and fear as her nails dug uselessly at the device attached to her. She was vaguely aware of people laughing at her as she struggled and hot tears of humiliation burned down her cheeks.

Firm hands gripped her shoulders and pinned her to the ground. “Hold still,” Reyes ordered. “Let me see your leg.”

Hanzo screamed as another bolt of electricity arched its way up her leg. The limb folded up against her, twitching as the muscles were forced to retract again and again. Tears were streaming freely down her face as her body convulsed. Bile burned her throat.

She felt Reyes yank the device off of her ankle and she collapsed against the floor. She retched twice, but they were dry heaves that brought up nothing. She was left with a parched throat that burned with every additional cough. She curled into herself, reaching down to grasp the metal holding her ankle in place. She was shaking and sobbing, trying to figure out what had happened to her and what she had done to deserve this.

“Ssh, ssh,” Reinhardt’s voice soothed. His massive hands settled on her shoulders before he gently scooped her up. “Let’s get you to the good doctor. She’ll have you on your feet in no time.”

“I don’t…,” Hanzo whimpered as her teeth chattered against one another.

“Ssh,” he repeated.

She rested her head against his chest, whimpering and sobbing as he carried her out of the training room. Her head was spinning and her legs were still convulsing over Reinhardt’s thick arms. He carried her like a child, murmuring soft words of encouragement the entire way to the medical bay.

Angela was waiting for them. Hanzo was only vaguely aware of what was going on. She was trying to sort through the humiliation and the shame and only caught pieces of what Dr. Ziegler was saying. It wasn’t until Reinhardt touched her shoulder that she looked up.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Like a fool,” Hanzo murmured. “I don’t understand what happened and I just screamed like some child.”

“I have seen worse than that happen when Trice shoots people,” Reinhardt grimaced. “I don’t know why he thought it was a good idea to shoot you, but Reyes was mad.”

“I didn’t hear her yelling when we left,” Hanzo looked up at him.

“That’s how you know she’s angry,” Reinhardt snorted. “Reyes likes to be loud and crass because it scares the idiots off. You get her really mad and she gets as cold and deadly as a coiled snake. Attacking you, making you scream like that, watching you claw at your own leg; that pissed her off.”

Hanzo looked away, staring at the wall instead of at Reinhardt’s kind face. “Took her time coming to my aid,” she growled.

“Reyes was at the other end of the room,” Reinhardt soothed. “Trice chose that moment to attack because she was so far away. I don’t think he expected you to react the way you did.”

Shame burned her throat and she set her jaw against the tears. She would not cry in front of Reinhardt, not again. She had shed too many tears lately as it was. What good would more wasted tears bring?

“Hanzo,” Reinhardt started to say before someone came sprinting across the room.

“Hanzo!” Genji shouted before he came to a dead stop in front of her. “Reyes contacted me and told me to get to the medical bay. What happened?”

“Nothing,” she hissed between clenched teeth.

Genji was quiet before he turned to face Reinhardt and Dr. Ziegler. “Leave, please,” he said in a tone of voice that would broker no argument. “I know that you have done all that you can, Doctor, but my sister needs her privacy.”

Hanzo could just image the indignant look on Angela’s face at being bossed around in her own medical bay, but the sound of retreating footsteps told her that they had both listened. Genji sat down beside her and gently took her hands. He squeezed them, trying to give her reassurance.

“I am not here to judge you, Hanzo,” he murmured. “I want to know what happened. I want to make sure that you are okay.”

Hanzo closed her eyes. “Like I made sure you were okay?” she whispered. “When I left you to die?”

The sob broke from her before she could stop herself and she pulled away from Genji. She covered her face, shame pouring out from between her fingers. She could hear Genji breathing heavily behind her and she flinched as his arms wrapped tightly around her chest.

“I told you I forgave you, Hanzo,” he whimpered. “Please, don’t bring that up here. Not now. Not when your health is the subject matter.”

“Then when, Genji?” she demanded as she twisted in his arms. “When will we talk about it? When are we going to sit down and talk about how your big sister, your _oneesan_ , the one person in this whole fucking world that was supposed to look after you with her dying breath, tore you to pieces and left you to die?”

“Hanzo, please,” Genji whimpered.

“I deserved this,” Hanzo sobbed. “I deserve every injury I receive for what I did. I deserve to die on this mission, Genji! There is no redemption for what I did to you; I was a fool for thinking that I could come back from what I did! I’m a monster and I don’t deserve to live!”

Just like that, every insecurity made itself known. She screamed and sobbed, rocking on the medical bed as her brother’s arms stayed locked tightly around her. He was crying too, a wordless sob as he clung to her. She didn’t mean to hurt him, but she always seemed to. No matter what she did, Genji suffered for it.

“I don’t blame you, Hanzo,” Genij whimpered. “It wasn’t….”

“It was my fault, Genji,” she sobbed. “I should have stood up to him. I should have kept you safe. Instead, I turned on you.”

“You just wanted to….”

“Scare you,” she sneered. “Your beloved _oneesan_ wanted to SCARE YOU into falling in line. She wanted to crush your spirit so that her life would be easier. I tore you to pieces and left you to die!” She grabbed his face and stared into his visor. “I did this to you, Genji! I did! Not Father, not some other damn assassin; I DID. I don’t deserve forgiveness for what I did. Not from myself and sure as the Dragon’s not from you.”

Genji let her go and reached up behind his head. He released the catches on his mask and threw it aside. Hanzo stared at the ruins of her brother’s face and felt tears fall harder down her face. She reached up, brushing her fingers over the scars, and her jaw trembled.

“I have forgiven you, Hanzo,” Genji growled. “You spent four years in torment for what you did to me. Four years alone thinking that I was dead, that you had killed the one person in this world that understood you like no one else ever could. The one person that you loved with all of your heart. Don’t you think you’ve earned a chance for redemption?”

“I ran….”

“Because you heard footsteps,” Genji snapped. “Because you were trained to be an assassin and being discovered was the very antithesis to your being. You ran, yes, but not because you were a coward. Besides, had you stayed, I think Dr. Ziegler’s unit would have killed you.”

“You keep making excuses,” Hanzo said.

“I keep stating facts,” Genji shook his head.

A single lock of white hair slipped out for under his helmet and Hanzo reached up to touch it. He watched her as she held the single lock delicately between her fingers. It felt so frail in her hand, like a single wrong move would make it crumble into dust.

“I recovered, Hanzo,” Genji whispered. “I will never be as I was before, but I am not dead. If I lost you, then or now, I would lose the will to live. You are my soul, _oneesan_ , the one person in this world that understands me better than I know myself.”

“Some soul I turned out to be,” Hanzo shook her head.

“Souls are not gentle things, _oneesan_ ,” he laughed. “They are as wild and unpredictable as dragons. This,” he touched his face, “this was a harsh reality check. You were right; I was being reckless and stupid, living my life as if there was no one that would suffer for my mistakes.”

“I could have thought of a better way to go about it,” Hanzo grimaced.

Genji chuckled. “Do you remember that story I found about the man and the butterfly?” he asked.

“Ugggh, yes; you wouldn’t shut up about the damn thing,” Hanzo rolled her eyes. “I’m still positive that story’s false and only written to sound smart and philosophical.”

“The point still stands,” Genji poked her nose. “Life without struggle and hardships only leaves ugly, stunted things. It is our struggles that make us strong.”

Hanzo looked away and bit her bottom lip as a new wave of tears started falling. How did she have any liquid left in her to waste on tears?

“Since when did you start being smart?” she demanded.

“Since Master Zenyatta threatened to beat me over the head with his discord orbs unless I took my lessons seriously,” Genji grinned.

“Oh, so me threatening to tell Mama about your late night dates with that Yuki girl couldn’t light a fire under you, but Zenyatta threatening you with his balls did?” she demanded before her face went red. “THAT WASN’T WHAT I MEANT!”

Genji let out a long wheeze of laughter and covered his face. Hanzo clapped her hands over her face, whining miserably as the realization of what she said settled on her. That was not what she meant; that was not what she meant!

“I missed your blunders!” Genji howled.

“I missed your laugh,” Hanzo sighed as she lowered her hands. Her face was still red with embarrassment, but it didn’t feel as bad seeing the light in Genji’s eyes. “Genji…this mission is in a week’s time. Reyes is probably going to put me through the wringer for what I said to her today. Her _and_ Morrison. If I come back….”

“When,” Genji corrected with a stern glare. “When you come back.”

“When,” she agreed, sucking air in between her teeth. “When I come back, can we please talk about everything?”

“What happened here wasn’t enough?” he teased. He kissed her nose, mindful of the scrap of his metallic bottom lip against her flesh. “We will. I promise. We will sit down and talk and cry and scream and do everything else we need to. We have the rest of our lives ahead of us, Hanzo. Let’s not waste it, yes?”

“Agreed,” Hanzo rubbed at her eyes. “Dr. Ziegler is going to have my head for crying this much.”

“Where’s your gourd?” Genji frowned.

Hanzo groaned. “Sitting on the bench in the training room. McCree probably drank it all on me, that ass. I swear on my dragons, that man has the bladder the size of a damn whale!”

Genji smiled at her. “I’ll go get it for you and fill it up,” he said. “Don’t go anywhere, okay?”

“I doubt Angela will let me take two steps from this bed,” Hanzo shook her head. “Genji, thank you.”

She didn’t have to say “for everything”; Genji would already know. They were each other’s soul, like he had said. Even when she was at her most stoic, Genji had always understood. When Genji was running his mouth, she could find the details that others missed. They were soul-mates.

If she survived this mission, she was going to make it up to him. She swore it.

* * *

 

Gabriel circled Trice, one fist dripping blood from where she had smashed his nose. Trice was cowering on the ground, his green eyes following her as she circled him. A cold fury was sweeping through her veins, fueled by the image of Hanzo convulsing on the ground and screaming as she was pumped full of electricity.

“Commander, please, I didn’t mean to hurt her,” Trice whimpered. Blood bubbled out of his nose as he struggled to breathe.

“I didn’t mean to hurt her,” she mocked, mimicking his whimpering voice almost perfectly. “But you did and you did nothing to correct your mistake. You laughed at her, laughed as your comrade in arms was given enough electricity to render most omnics useless.”

“I thought she had prosthetic legs!” Trice wailed. “I didn’t know there was flesh under that metal!”

“So you wanted her to trip and break her neck instead?” Gabriel growled. She crouched down and grabbed his chin, wrenching his face up to look at her. “I do not tolerate my soldiers attacking each other, Trice. You know that.”

“She isn’t Blackwatch!”

“She is for this mission,” she snarled, digging her fingers into his throat. “A privilege you just lost, Andrew.”

“No! Please, Commander, I…!”

Gabriel kissed him, sucking his soul out harshly from between his teeth. He screamed and flailed, fighting her as she took her fill. She shoved him away with a snarl, watching him flop boneless to the ground. He stared sightlessly ahead, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

“Get out of my sight,” she growled. “If you come anywhere near the training room or Hanzo again, I will tear you apart, do you hear me?”

Trice managed to nod his head and Gabriel rose to her feet. She spat on him, enjoying the wet trail it left on his cheek as it dripped to the floor. She turned without a word, black boots carrying her out of the room without a sound.

Behind her, Trice lifted his head. Blood bubbled out of his nose and dripped down his chin. His green eyes narrowed and he slowly tried to climb to his feet. He’d show her. He’d show them all.


	12. Chapter 11

McCree poked his head around the privacy screen and tipped the brim of his hat. “Morning, Hanzo,” he said. “You feeling better?”

Hanzo glanced at him from where she was lying on the bed. She looked ready to claw her way through the privacy screen and was only just managing to restrain herself. McCree had to hold in his laugh at the sight, mostly to cover the way heat crept up his neck at the sight of Hanzo stretched out like she was. There wasn’t anything sexual about it, but damn did she have some nice legs in those track pants.

“I was fine last night,” she said. “Dr. Ziegler insisted I remain for observation. What did that idiot hit me with?”

“Taser; Trice has a specialty for them,” McCree rubbed the back of his neck. “Guess he figured if he hit your prosthetics the most you would do is trip. Short out the circuitry, you know?”

Hanzo’s mouth curled into a snarl. “They aren’t prosthetics; they are braces,” she growled. “Why the hell does everyone get that wrong?”

“Won’t matter; Trice got the boot and won’t be going on the mission,” McCree shrugged. “Can’t say I’ll miss him too much. Pain in the ass, that one.”

“You would know,” Hanzo sighed as she leaned her head back against the pillow. “Are you growing anxious?” she asked softly.

McCree blinked. “Ooh, right this is only your second mission?” he asked as he dragged a chair over to sit down beside her. “It ain’t too bad once you get used to them. I’d advise you not to eat too much that mornin’; you’ll probably throw most of it up on the shuttle.”

Hanzo wrinkled her nose. “I will keep that in mind,” she said before she glanced at him. “Why are you here, McCree-san?”

“Wanted to make sure you were okay,” he shrugged. “Hell, thought you were gunna have a seizure on us with the way you were convulsing.”

Hanzo looked away. “It was shameful,” she murmured.

“I’ve seen the worst of the worst out there, Hanzo,” McCree soothed. “Ain’t nothin’ shameful about what happened on your end. The one that should be ashamed is Trice; he attacked another agent and caused some serious damage. Gabe was pissed.”

Hanzo shook her head and wouldn’t meet his gaze. He wanted to tell her how much it scared him to hear her screaming and thrashing on the ground. He hated Trice, hated the sick pleasure the man took in watching his victims squirm, and he hated him more because the fucker and his buddies were laughing as Hanzo clawed at her leg. It took three people to hold her down and he wasn’t sure which part was more unsettling; the screams, the convulsing, or the tears.

“We’re going into that hellhole as a team, Hanzo; be a bit hypocritical of me if I didn’t care about your well-being before the mission,” he said slowly. “Want the best sniper on the team in tip-top shape so I know my backside’s covered.”

“Maybe you’d feel better if you wore armor like Reinhardt,” she grumbled.

“This coming from the woman wearing with her arm hanging out and only a bando to keep her chest in place,” McCree teased.

“It’s a one-arm sports bra, thank you,” Hanzo snorted. “I need that arm free to draw my bow properly.”

“Uh huh, and it’s totally not to show off that tattoo of yours.”

“I should slap you,” Hanzo growled.

“But you won’t because that’s Gabe’s job and she guards it jealously,” McCree laughed. He reached out and carefully grasped her hand, squeezing just tight enough to make her look at him. “I’m glad you’re okay, Hanzo. I never want to see that happen again.”

He saw a flicker of confusion pass through her eyes. “I…do not wish it to either,” she said slowly.

McCree smiled and patted her hand, starting to rise. “Well, I’ll let you re-,” he started to say.

“Actually…could you stay?” Hanzo asked softly. “Genji’s unfortunately busy this morning and my mood is…volatile at the moment. Another voice other than the doctors and nurses would be greatly appreciated.”

“Lord knows I can talk for the both of us,” McCree sat as he sat back down.

They talked primarily about the mission, going over the finer details and commenting on any modifications they should make to accommodate the other members of their team. Hanzo seemed incredibly worried about Katrina being able to keep up with them, but McCree brushed the worry away; she had been on plenty of raids and had never fallen behind. When they hashed that out, Hanzo quietly asked how the weather was.

McCree laughed and told her all about the sky outside. He rambled at a few points, unable to keep his thoughts straight as Hanzo’s brown eyes watched him. He wasn’t sure if she noticed when he rambled, but a small smile seemed to be pulling at her lips as he droned on. She didn’t add anything to the conversation, simply rolling over onto her side to watch him.

It wasn’t until Dr. Ziegler walked in to let Hanzo know that she was cleared to leave that he realized he was still holding her hand. He released it quickly, sticking his hands in the pockets of his pants as Hanzo gratefully swung her feet to the ground. She rose as elegantly as ever, thanking Dr. Ziegler with a polite bow, and walking beside McCree out of the medical bay.

“I’m going to lose a day of training,” Hanzo sighed.

“Gabe called training off for the day. She’s looking for replacements with Jack and doesn’t want us to get further ahead than we already are. One week and she has to stuff people into teams; she is not happy,” McCree grimaced. “I need a smoke,” he added as he headed for the back of the base.

Hanzo followed at his heels, quietly watching everything they walked past. Stepping away from the door into the bright morning light, McCree fished out a cigarillo, lit the end, and took a deep drag of it. He blew the smoke out through his nose as he sat down, glancing at Hanzo as she sat down on the picnic table beside him. He quietly marvelled at her beauty, wishing that he had the nerve to actually say something to her instead of all the failed flirting he kept resorted to.

“You ain’t gunna discuss my need to smoke?” McCree asked as he took another drag.

“You don’t listen to wisdom anyways,” Hanzo shrugged a shoulder. “Besides, I’m sure Dr. Ziegler has quoted statistics at you before.”

“Right on that one,” he snorted in amusement. “Just about everyone tells me to drop the habit. Sort of got used to hearing it.”

“So long as you don’t blow the smoke in my face, you’re free to whatever vice you desire,” Hanzo shrugged again.

McCree felt that statement go right to his groin. He almost choked on his cigarillo, spitting out a cloud of ash and smoke. Hanzo’s hand patted gently between his shoulder blades and he flashed her a thumbs up. He was fine; he just really wished she had worded that differently. All it did was put nasty thoughts in his head and he was going to act on them. Controlling his impulses had never been that fun, anyways.

“So, Hanzo, are you a betting woman?” he asked, throwing a glance at her after his coughs died down.

“Not usually,” she said. “The game has to be something I have an interest in or the odds are in my favour.”

“Well, I have a game for you then,” he grinned.

“Do you now?” she lifted an elegant eyebrow.

“Yup,” he took a drag of his cigarillo and sent up a stream of smoke as he exhaled towards the sky. “You already know my vice, so I get to guess yours. I get it right, you give me a kiss. I get it wrong, you don’t have to kiss me.”

Hanzo’s face darkened for a moment and he thought he was about to get kicked in the face. Instead, she leaned in close. “You suck at making offers, cowboy,” she growled. “So let’s raise the stakes instead, hmm? You guess my vice and if it’s right, I kiss you on your smoke-tainted lips. You guess wrong, I get to decide the punishment and how long it lasts.”

McCree stared at her for a long moment; that actually worked?! Holy shit! Either he was a master negotiator or she was curious to see how good he was at guessing people’s vices.

“Uh…sounds good to me?” he squeaked out and took a deep drag on his cigarillo to distract himself from the tantalizing smirk on Hanzo’s lips. “Okay, uh, your vice is….” He glanced around, trying to think. “Uh, you drink way too much sake.”

Hanzo let out a soft chuckle. Her fingertips grazed under his chin, sending tingles all the way down to his groin. Heat swell through him as she expertly turned his face towards her. Her brown eyes bore into him, pools of molten warmth that made his mouth go dry. She leaned in close, her eyes moving down to his lips. She stopped a mere hair’s breadth from his mouth and brushed her lips up the length of his chin.

“Not even close, cowboy,” she purred into his ear.

With that, she got to her feet and started walking away. McCree scrambled to follow her, but gave up when his legs refused to move.

“H-hey! The wager, Hanzo!”

“Yes, what about it?” she asked as she glanced over a shoulder.

“Well, I got your vice wrong; aren’t you supposed to punish me?” he asked, grinning wickedly.

“I am,” Hanzo replied as she set a hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side. “What is it that you Americans call it? ‘Blue balls’?” Her smile was so deliciously evil that McCree felt his pants grow even tighter. “Enjoy your smoke, cowboy.”

He watched her go and slowly pulled his hat down over his face. He didn’t have to look around to know that Tracer had heard that. They were at his side in an instant and he could feel the shit-eating grin on their face. He was not going to live this down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a short chapter, I know, but it's fun. McCree just gave Hanzo the fuel she needs to toy with him a little; running gag? I think so~


	13. Chapter 12

McCree munched on a piece of toast liberally smothered in grape jelly and watched Hanzo poke at her eggs. She had managed to eat a few bites, but he could see the nausea playing across her face. Blackwatch missions were always like that the first few times, especially when they were something as massive as this one was. She wouldn’t have to worry about it though; unless Gabriel was really impressed, she likely wouldn’t have to go on another mission with Blackwatch for a few months. Maybe not even a few years.

“Try to finish at least one egg,” he encouraged as he gulped his water down. “Don’t want you passing out on me from hunger. Help keep your stomach settled for a little while too.”

Hanzo grimaced and stabbed her fork into the mass of scrambled eggs. It was still early; no one else was up yet. He knew Hanzo woke early to begin with so he figured this wasn’t too far out of the norm for her; he’d went to bed early because he knew damn well he’d be up at five no matter what because he’d want to get a good choice of food before the rest of the Blackwatch agents piled into the mess hall and devoured everything in sight.

Hanzo managed to shovel a few more mouthfuls into her mouth before she stood up with her plate. She walked over to the garbage shoot and dumped the rest of the eggs into the composter and put her dirty plate aside to be washed. She rubbed at her face before walking back to the table and sitting down.

“How are you so calm?” she asked bitterly.

“I’ve been with Blackwatch for ten years; this isn’t anything new for me,” he shrugged.

“Well, I hope I can be that calm in a few years,” she snorted as she continued rubbing at her face. “This armor is also incredibly restrictive.”

She rolled her shoulders to emphasize and the chest armor barely shifted. He thought it looked good on her, but she was used to being stealthy and taking targets out from a distance. She wouldn’t get that privilege where they were going so she needed all the protection she could get. Since she outright refused a helmet, she had to make due with a rather tight chestpiece. Small prices to pay for coming out of this alive.

“Yah, really not made for anyone with pectorals,” he agreed as he scratched at his neck. “You’ll be happy when you don’t get a bullet through the chest though.”

“A small blessing then,” she grumbled as the first trickle of agents started heading into the mess hall.

They glanced at each other and McCree stuck the last of his toast in his mouth and got to his feet. He carried his dirty dishes over to the pile and carefully set them down. He slipped past the lineup heading for breakfast and met Hanzo outside the doors. They headed down to the hanger together without saying a word.

Gabriel looked up as they walked into the hanger, a datapad in her hand. “Oh good, you can help me check the gear one last time,” she smirked.

“Of course,” Hanzo said as she walked over.

“How’s the leg?” Gabriel asked as she checked something off on her datapad.

“It has been fine,” Hanzo inclined her head. “Dr. Ziegler was very thorough with her work.”

“Good,” Gabriel nodded before she read off a list of items she wanted checked.

McCree found everything quickly. He knew where everyone liked to keep their things when they sat down in the cargo hold. He didn’t know of one Blackwatch agent that didn’t have an unofficial designated seat. He’d made sure to get Hanzo seated across from him so she wasn’t fighting against a tide of people to keep up with the unit when they touched down.

“Hanzo, your brother just showed up,” Gabriel called as she turned the datapad off. “And Zenyatta.”

“Probably to wish me luck,” Hanzo sighed as she tucked Amelie’s sniper rifle back into its case under her seat.

McCree smiled as she left the shuttle and dusted his hands off. He leaned against the wall, watching Hanzo greet her brother and his mentor. He couldn’t hear what was being said, but Zenyatta sounded as calm as ever and Genji sounded surprisingly subdued. Hanzo touched his shoulder and it seemed to break whatever control he had.

Genji threw his arms around Hanzo and hugged her tightly. Hanzo returned the hug after a moment, wiggling his arms up so he wasn’t crushing her ribs. They pressed their foreheads together and stood there for a few minutes before they pulled away. Zenyatta rested a hand on her shoulder before he turned and shepherded Genji out of the hanger.

“How old is your brother?” McCree asked as Hanzo stepped back onto the shuttle.

“Twenty-five; why?” she shot him a look, daring him to say something cruel.

“Just wondering,” he shrugged. “Sweet guy.”

“He’s a gentle soul,” Hanzo agreed. “Or, gentler than mine anyways.”

McCree let out a snort before he waved her towards her seat. He sat down and stretched his legs out, grinning at her as she settled herself down across from him. Gabriel swept past them, heading down the ramp to go speak with Jack as he stepped into the hanger. McCree didn’t have to look to know that Gabriel had just swept Jack up into her arms and gave him a heated kiss.

The soft squeak of a startled Commander was more than enough of an indication.

* * *

 

Hanzo couldn’t remember ever feeling so sick to her stomach in her life. She hadn’t thrown up, yet, but there was a sickbag sitting between her knees just in case. Every few minutes, someone was emptying their stomach contents into one of the bags. From what she could tell, only the seasoned Blackwatch members looked calm and even they were a little green.

McCree was sitting across from her, strapped into his seat and checking his guns and ammunition stores one last time. The noise of the shuttle was too loud to have a decent conversation, but he looked up on occasion and flashed her a reassuring smile. She didn’t have the strength to return the smile, but she nodded her head every time he met her eye.

Reyes was walking up and down the length of the shuttle. She was dressed in gray and black with a hood pulled up over her head and her signature shotguns strapped to her back. She looked imposing and regal, every step promising to bring death and destruction to those that got in her way. Hanzo could not help but feel a little better each time Reyes walked by. Just knowing that Reyes had her back in some capacity reassured her; the Commander wouldn’t allow anyone to harm her agents if she could help it.

“We’re approaching the landing site,” Reyes said over the communications channel. “You know your objectives. This isn’t a white ops mission, kids; someone points a gun at you, you take that _bastardo_ out.” There was something thrilling about hearing Reyes curse in Spanish with such an approving glint in her voice. “Get in there and show them how few shits Blackwatch gives about their illegal operations. Make them rue the day they decided they were above international laws and treaties.”

The seasoned agents roared and masked the sound of someone vomiting. Hanzo closed her eyes as the shuttle swung around and the back of the shuttle slowly started to lower. The shuttle touched down and Tracer’s cheery voice chimed through the hull that they had arrived. Hanzo released the catch on her restrains and reached for her bow.

She hoisted Storm Bow over her shoulder and fell into step behind McCree. They crouch-ran across the open field, bodies low to minimize the chance of being spotted. They knew that the residents would be aware of their presence; it was hard to land a shuttle stealthily; but they wouldn’t know when or where the agents were coming from.

McCree led the way down into the facility as they split into their teams. Katrina, Grayson, and Lin followed behind her, guns out and waiting to wade into the fray. Hanzo fit an arrow onto the string of her bow and did her best to still her racing heart. McCree crouched beside her, Peacekeeper; she still thought it was a dumb name to give a gun; held up against the side of his face. He made a quick sign with his hand, signalling that the door they had to breach was open, and leaped around the corner.

Lin charged after him, roaring as he fired off his guns. Katrina and Grayson provided cover fire, lobbing healing canisters at McCree and Lin’s feet to keep them moving. Hanzo darted into the room, scaled the wall, hooked her legs around a light fixture, and started firing into the crowd of screaming guards. She didn’t let herself think about who she was killing; she had an objective to complete and she wasn’t about to let her teammates die.

McCree mowed his way through the crowd and slammed the codebreaker onto the number-lock holding the next door closed. “Gamma Team at first objective,” he said over the comm-channel. “Codebreaker in place.”

“Cracking lock now,” Athena said. She had been given permission to assist on the mission since Nox was required to stay at base to make sure some new programming was properly encoded into his systems. “Estimated breach time: one minute and twenty seconds.”

Hanzo swung herself down from the light fixture and hurried over to McCree, collecting her arrows as she went. McCree made another hand-motion and Lin pulled a grenade off of his belt. Athena gave a methodical countdown until the door opened and Lin pulled the pin at two. The doors snicked open and he lobbed the grenade into the room before diving out of the way.

Hanzo felt the heat rush past her and gasped in shock. It was a lot hotter than she had been expecting it to be. She glanced at McCree, fit another arrow into the bow, and nodded. They turned at the same time, McCree spraying twelve rounds into the room from Peacekeeper and another gun that he hadn’t named; as far as she was aware; while Hanzo fired a Scatter Arrow. The last person left standing inside the room met the business end of Katrina’s gun and fell to the ground with most of his face missing.

Bile rose in Hanzo’s mouth as Lin started cackling with glee at the state of the room. Katrina spat onto a broken corpse, shoving it aside with her boot. McCree reloaded his gun, seemingly oblivious to the chaos. Grayson retrieved the codebreaker and slapped it onto the next number pad, crushing a corpse’s skull under his boot as he backed up. Athena informed them that their second objective was at the end of the hallway before the doors slid open.

It was methodical and precise, but there was something that Hanzo was lacking from the whole situation. She was used to working alone, to bringing death silently to those unfortunate enough to be in her way. The noise of guns and grenardes and bursting biofield left her nerves raw. The lack of respect for the dead didn’t help matters either. She felt minutes away from screaming in frustration and that only made her feel worse.

 They hurried down the hall, half-crouched over to stay below the windows leading into the rooms beyond. They couldn’t hear anything from the other teams in the building, but the occasional “objective taken” rang through the communications channel. Hanzo’s heart was in her throat and she was waiting for the haze to settle into her limbs and heart, steeling her against what would come next.

Working with a team was very different to solo missions. There was no time for her to pause and reclaim the calmness she should have had when taking the life of another human. She had to keep moving or she would be left behind to fend for herself. She did not want to be caught out in the open by the Vishkar mercenaries. She needed cover to work effectively with her bow and the narrow hallways would not provide her with that.

The elevator at the end of the hall took five agonizing minutes to reach them. They piled in after McCree shot out the light and the camera. Katrina pushed the button for the bottom floor and settled her back against the wall.

“How’s everyone feeling?” she asked.

“Amazing,” Lin laughed.

“Fine,” Grayson snorted, carefully loading an explosive charge into his handgun.

“Peachy keen, Kat,” McCree smirked at the older woman.

“Alive if nothing else,” Hanzo said.

“Got something for your nerves, kid,” Katrina smirked nastily at her. “If you don’t mind taking it.”

“I am fine, thank you, Katrina-san,” Hanzo inclined her head.

“Don’t need you bailing on us,” Lin growled.

Hanzo did not bother answering him. McCree gave her a reassuring bump with his elbow, winking down at her when she hazarded a glance. She shook her head, swallowing down bile as she took her position beside the door. The sooner they got to the truck, the happier she would be. The elevator dinged their arrival and the doors slowly slid open.

McCree moved forward, firing Peacekeeper into the parking garage. Lin followed, both guns firing. There was supposed to be a few guards that had to be neutralized, but nothing more dangerous than mall cops with AKs. Hanzo followed with Grayson and Katrina on her heels. She had barely taken three steps when she realized that something was terribly wrong. There were no cars to be seen and massive omnics were slowly rolling towards McCree and Lin.

“Oh no,” Katrina hissed.

“We’ve been set up,” Grayson snarled.

An explosion rocked the ceiling overhead and screams filled the comm-channel. Hanzo almost ripped her earpiece out as her eardrums rang with the terrible sound. Over the cacophony, she could hear Reyes roaring for a full retreat.

“Reyes said to fall back,” Hanzo shouted as she lifted her bow. “McCree, Lin, let’s go! The way back should still be clear!”

McCree spun around and raced towards her, only to stop midstride and scream at them to get down. Hanzo dove forward, rolled and twisted around, firing an arrow into an omnic that had snuck up on them. She added two more arrows before the thing exploded, but not before another one fired on Katrina, slicing her in half down the middle with a red laser. She didn’t even have a chance to scream.

Hanzo’s stomach clenched and she grabbed a Scatter Arrow, firing it at the omnic before it could fire again. It exploded in a rain of black metal. Grayson twisted around and his head was reduced to mist as a woman unloaded a plasma rifle into him. McCree shot her dead before she could reload, screaming for Hanzo to run.

She twisted around, nocked another arrow, and fired just in time to watch Lin explode. She swore, dodging around the gore that came flying towards her, tripping over her feet as she scrambled towards safety.

“Car! Get to the car!” she screamed at McCree.

“It’s a truck!” McCree shouted back as they rushed towards the vehicle sitting quietly in the far corner of the garage.

“We’ll discuss semantics later, Jesse!” she snarled. She saw the laser a second too late and screamed. “GET DOWN!”

McCree twisted and the laser sliced through his left arm just below his elbow. The limb went spinning away from him and flopped against the ground. The fingers twitched pitifully around Peacekeeper’s trigger and blood pooled on the ground beneath the amputated stump.

Hanzo screamed.

McCree screamed.

The earpiece spat static.

The omnics rolled forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *insert evil laughter here* Enjoy the cliffhanger, everyone~


	14. Chapter 13

McCree fumbled with the stump of his arm, trying desperately to stop blood that wasn’t flowing. The laser that had sliced his arm off had cauterized the wound instantly. It was extremely convenient, if not horrific and, sweet lord, did he want to throw up right now.

The omnics were approaching fast, their rifles training on him and Hanzo. They had to get moving or they were toast.

Hanzo was frozen, looking between him, the omnics, and the truck. He thought he yelled at her to run, but he couldn’t hear anything over the ringing in his ears. He felt something wet dripping down the side of his face, but he didn’t dare waste time seeing what it was. He stooped down, grabbed Peacekeeper out of his amputated limb, and started firing with his right hand.

“Hanzo, run!” he tried to yell again.

Hanzo bolted, not towards the truck, but towards him. She grabbed his spare gun from his belt and started firing behind them. She shouted at him to zig-zag, bolting away to the right to keep the omnics from hitting their get-away vehicle. Bullets punctured the metal soldiers, but the omnics kept advancing.

“Get to the truck and get it moving!” Hanzo shouted at him.

“What about you?!” McCree demanded.

“Just trust me!”

He urged his legs to run faster. Behind him, he heard Hanzo scream “Minami” and a line of Japanese he couldn’t follow. The air was suddenly filled with the roaring of a dragon, but he didn’t dare turn around to see what she had just done. He’d ask her later if they lived through this.

McCree grabbed the door of the truck as he reached it and yanked it open, throwing himself into the driver’s seat. He turned the engine over and put the truck into reverse, swinging the vehicle around and hitting the button to unlock the doors. Hanzo hauled herself up into the truck as he swung wide towards her, her chest heaving as she dropped his gun onto the seat.

“You shoot!” he ordered as he dropped Peacekeeper onto the seat between them and threw the truck into drive.

“Should you be driving?!” Hanzo demanded as she grabbed Peacekeeper off the seat and hastily reloaded it and his spare.

“Can you drive stick?”

“No.”

“Then I’m driving. Hold on!”

He put his foot to the gas pedal and they zoomed up the tunnel leading to the surface, McCree smoothly changing gears as he needed to. Hanzo clung to the dashboard as they sped up the tunnel, her knuckles turning white as she stared at her feet.

“Why aren’t you shooting?” he demanded, not taking his eyes off the road.

“I’m trying not to piss myself, Jesse!” Hanzo snarled before she rolled the window down. “Try not to smear me against the wall!”

“No promises; I’m driving with one hand and a stump!” he shouted.

Hanzo snarled as she hauled her torso out the window and started shooting Peacekeeper and his spare gun behind them. She never missed a mark; he could tell with every glance in the rearview mirror. He stuck his stump into one of the holes in the steering wheel and reached across the truck to smack Hanzo’s leg with ammo.

“Duck in to reload!” he ordered.

Hanzo listened without a second thought, dumping the spent shells onto the floor and reloading with shaking hands. She hauled herself back out, shooting the omnics with terrifying accuracy as they sped up the tunnel. McCree gripped the steering wheel with his good hand, trying his damnedest to keep them away from the wall while avoiding gunfire.

He spotted the opening up ahead and saw the hull door starting to close. He reached over, desperately trying to steer with his stump of an arm, and wrenched Hanzo back into the truck. She misfired a bullet and it ricocheted off the wall with a noise that would have been comical if he wasn’t a few seconds away from potentially dying.

“Seat belt, now!” he ordered as he pulled his own on.

Hanzo belted herself in and grabbed onto the Holy Shit handle. “Dragons’ mercy,” she whispered as McCree put the pedal to the floor.

“Hanzo, shift the gear up, now! I can’t risk this!” he ordered.

She leaned over and snapped the gearstick up to the next notch. The truck surged forward and he heard a terrifying crunch as the hanger door scraped across the roof of the truck. Hanzo screamed and covered her head, swearing in Japanese. McCree wrenched the wheel to the right as he felt the back end of the truck get sawed off by the hanger door.

There was a terrifying sense of vertigo as the vehicle tipped on its side.

Hanzo screamed.

McCree screamed.

The truck rolled down the tarmac. He felt his head bounce repeatedly off the side of the door, jarring his brain around the inside of his skull. Blood gushed down the side of his face. The truck came to a crunching stop on its roof, skidding a few feet further with a sickening screech.

McCree’s ears were ringing. He could vaguely hear Hanzo panting beside him and opened an eye. Her face was peppered with bits of glass from the shattered windshield and he would have laughed at how funny she looked upside down if there wasn’t vomit dripping through her hair.

“You okay?” he groaned.

“I think breakfast was a terrible idea,” she whispered. “All I can smell is eggs.”

“I’d laugh if that didn’t hurt so much,” he said. “Feel any broken bones?”

Hanzo moved her arms slowly, reaching up to feel her neck, face, and shoulders. “Seems fine,” she said before she unbuckled herself from the seat.

She dropped gracelessly onto the dash, wheezing as she knocked the wind out of herself. She sucked air in twice through her teeth before she grabbed his guns and crawled over to him. She felt up his shoulders and neck, checking for broken bones.

“On three?” she asked.

“Three,” he groaned as he released the catch on the seatbelt.

He fell bodily into her arms and felt his face press itself into her bloody shoulder. She held him close as she struggled to get the door open, her lips brushing slowly along his temple. She growled until the door finally popped open, only to fall off before it had swung halfway.

“Hold on, cowboy,” she murmured. “Hold on.”

“Anyone ever tell ya you got beautiful eyes, Hanzo?” he asked as he stared up at her.

“Every man that has ever tried to get me into their bed,” she replied as she hauled him out of the truck. She looped her arms around his chest and dragged him away from the wreckage. “Don’t think they were being honest. Everyone else always said my eyes were cold when they weren’t interested in fucking me.”

“Haven’t met a girl like you, ya know that?” he asked as he watched his boots get dragged across the tarmac. “Confident and pretty without flaunting yer tits. Yer a rare breed, Hanzo.”

“You must have hit your head, cowboy,” she chuckled. “I would almost think you were trying to compliment me.”

“Think I’m dying, Hanzo,” he murmured. “Don’t leave?”

“You aren’t dying,” she snapped. “Concussed maybe, but sure as hell not dying. That is the last thing I would allow to happen to you, Jesse.”

He felt grass beneath his hand and blinked as Hanzo pulled her _obi_ off from around her waist. She wrapped it tightly around his head, tucking the ends in to keep them from dragging. She ran her hands over his body, searching for broken bones or other injuries. He smiled, watching her work even as blood continued running down her face.

“Hanzo? Is your vice that you’re too kind?” he teased.

“No.”

“Too pretty?”

“No, _baka_. How can being too pretty be a vice? You really did hit your head. Now stop talking so I can concentrate on making sure nothing else on you is injured.”

“Ah,” he smiled as he tipped his head back. “Then it must be that you’re too hard on yourself,” he mused. “Not willing to let yourself make a mistake even when you’re scared out of your mind. All that honour and shit that people cling to when they should be focused on what’s in front of their nose.” He looked at her and smiled. “I get it?”

She leaned in and kissed him. Right on the lips. She tasted of blood and tears and bile and he raised his right hand to cup her hair. She pulled away and rose to her feet, a look of hope in her eyes. She started waving her arms over her head, screaming at someone he couldn’t see.

His last thought before the blackness crept over him was that he wished he had just kissed her at the picnic table. What woman wants to kiss a dying man?

* * *

 

“Reinhardt! OVER HERE!” Hanzo screamed, waving her arms over her head.

Reinhardt came charging over as soon as he saw her. “Hanzo! Are you hurt?” he demanded as he dropped to a knee to hug her.

She accepted the bone-breaking embrace, pressing her face into his shoulder for a moment. Her head was spinning and she hurt all over, but she was more worried about McCree. He needed medical attention immediately.

“I’ll be fine; nothing serious,” she replied as she pulled away. “But Jesse needs medical attention. He lost his arm and I’m pretty sure he cracked his head when the truck flipped.”

“Aye,” he nodded before stepping over to easily scoop McCree’s limp body up. “The others?”

Hanzo closed her eyes and shook her head. Those nightmares were going to haunt her for the rest of her life. No one should have to die like that. Reinhardt didn’t say a word; he just nodded his head and motioned for her to follow him back across the field.

She struggled to keep up with him; his gait was incredibly long and her legs felt like lead; but all she cared about was getting McCree to the shuttle. Vert would look after him, would make sure he was given proper medical attention. He would live. He would live and she would make it up to him.

She wasn’t expecting the shuttle to be so empty. It was like a punch to the gut as she walked in to see so many empty seats and traumatized faces. She staggered and had to grab onto Reinhardt’s leg to keep herself upright. Reyes turned towards them, one side of her face covered in gauze, and rushed over.

“What happened?” she demanded as she guided Reinhardt over to a free cot and helped strap McCree in. Her hands trailed slowly through McCree’s hair, pushing it out of his face as the blood-soaked _obi_ clung to his scalp.

“We were set up,” Hanzo managed to choke out. “The others didn’t make it out of the parking garage.”

Reyes closed her eyes and let out a low hiss of anger. “Vert! Get over here!” she roared.

Vert came hurrying over, took one look at McCree, and swore. He immediately set to work removing the blood-soaked _obi_ from his head and cleaned the wound stretching across his scalp. Hanzo’s legs gave out from under her and she sank down onto the floor next to the cot. Her fingers looped numbly between the fingers of McCree’s right hand and she blocked out the rest of the shuttle as the engines roared to life.

Vert worked diligently to stop McCree’s bleeding, stitching the gaping hole in the side of his head shut. He carefully worked shards of broken windshield out of his face and throat, dropping them into a container for safe disposal later. He patted McCree down after he extracted the last shard of glass, searching for any other injury.

“How are you faring?” he asked as he knelt down in front of her.

“Fine,” Hanzo replied. “I’m fine.”

“Face is covered in glass,” Vert commented. “And you’re pants are soaked with blood.”

Hanzo looked down and grimaced at the sticky mess around her groin. “That’s not from an injury,” she grumbled.

Vert was silent for a moment before he let out a soft “ah”. “Do you have the means to change that?” he asked quietly. “I have pads, tampons, and moon cups available if you need them.”

“I have my own,” she reassured him. “And a spare change of pants.”

“Go get that cleaned up,” he smiled. “Sucks being born female and having to do field missions, doesn’t it?”

Hanzo blinked at Vert for a moment before she nodded and got to her feet. She walked over to her locker, inputted the code, and pulled the bag of clothing she had brought with her out. She slipped into the small bathroom and changed quickly, cleaning herself up as best she could with wet wipes and toilet paper. She scrubbed her underwear and pants clean in the sink, wringing them out of most of their water content before stuffing them back into the bag.

She took the time to clean the vomit out of her hair, not caring if it didn’t matter since she probably smelt like death anyways. She wanted to at least look a little clean and not like she had thrown up all over herself when the truck had started flipping.

In her defence, she didn’t think anyone could have kept their cool in that sort of situation. There was no way to brace for something like that. At least her stomach didn’t hurt anymore now that her breakfast was all over the floor of that truck.

She left the washroom and put her things back in her locker, refusing to meet the eyes of anyone that looked at her. She closed her locker and walked back to McCree’s side, lacing her fingers through his as Vert started carefully pulling chunks of glass out of her face.

“He’s going to be fine,” Vert reassured her.

She nodded numbly, not taking her eyes off of McCree’s face. He looked like he was in pain with his brow furrowed and sweat dripping down his face. She waited for Vert to finish pulling the last large piece of glass out of her face before she scooted closer to McCree and started running her fingers through his shaggy hair.

“Stay with me,” she murmured softly. “Stay with me, Jesse.”

McCree’s eyes twitched and she saw his brown eyes for a split second before he exhaled softly through his nose. His head shifted towards her, but he stayed unconscious. His breathing was shallow, but Vert didn’t seem worried about it so she did her best not to worry about it.

She brought his much larger hand up to her mouth and kissed his knuckles. “Stay with me,” she repeated. “Stay with me, Jesse McCree. Don’t you dare leave me. You don’t get to tease a dragon with promises of affection and then go and die on them.”

Screaming started drifting through the bay from one of the other cargo holds. All of the passengers winced at the noise, but no one dared to move. Everyone found something to busy themselves with, looking down at their lap rather than acknowledge the screams.

Shivering, Hanzo tried to do the same. She didn’t want to know what Gabriel Reyes was doing to whatever poor soul was trapped with her in the other cargo bay. Unfortunately, she had a feeling that she knew exactly what the soul-eater was doing.

* * *

 

Gabriel brushed her thumb over the executive’s bruised cheek. “It doesn’t have to be this way,” she said coldly. “Tell me what you know and we can all go our separate ways.”

“Is this how the great Overwatch treats its hostages?” the woman executive demanded. She spat at Gabriel’s boot and Gabriel backhanded her to the floor.

“I don’t want to be violent, you know,” Gabriel sighed as she got to her feet. “I just want to know how you knew we were coming.”

“You are in no position to be asking such questions,” the executive with the bruised cheek spat. “Kidnapping is illegal and the United Nations will hear of this!”

“The United Nations will hear of this,” she mocked as she cupped the man’s chin in her hands. “What makes you think they give a flying fuck about you, sir?”

“We provide a lot of money,” the man stammered out before Gabriel laughed at him.

“You really think they care that you provide so much money to them?” she asked. “Please; they have hundreds of businesses doing the exact same thing.”

“Demented whore,” the woman growled as she tried to get to her knees with her bound hands in front of her.

Gabriel twisted and put her boot into the woman’s teeth. She felt the jaw splinter under the force and the woman flopped to the floor with a scream of agony. Gabriel reveled in the sight before she turned her attention back to the executive in front of her.

“Tell me how you knew about our mission,” she growled, “or I’ll hang you out of the shuttle by your toes.”

“Ha!” the man laughed. “You need me alive. How else will your superiors know of your doings?”

“Word of mouth,” Gabriel replied as she got to her feet.

She grabbed the man by the nape of his suit and hauled him over to the airlock. She punched in the code and the door hissed as it slid open. The air outside threatened to suck her out of the cargo bay, but she grabbed onto the side of the door before hauling the man out by his neck. They hadn’t hit their cruising altitude yet, but they were still a good way up into the sky; if she let go, the man would be dead before he hit the ground.

She smiled at him as she held him away from the shuttle. His face was white and his immaculate white suit was soiled as his bowels evacuated themselves. He shook his head, desperately clawing at her fingers as his doom yawned beneath him. She cocked her head slowly to the side, giving him time to come to his senses. When he made no move to bow to her wishes, she released him.

He was sucked backwards and his scream echoed as he fell toward the forest below. A waste of a good soul, in all honesty, but she wasn’t in the mood to play nice. She had just lost a good number of her soldiers and all but one of the Overwatch soldiers she had brought with her. She was pissed and the best people to take it out on were the executives she had hauled in. She turned away from the airlock and palmed it shut, looking down at the remaining three executives.

“So, who’s going to tell me how you found out about our little sting?” she asked sweetly.

The woman started whimpering pathetically. She writhed on the ground, trying to push herself away as her jaw flopped uselessly beneath her. She coughed up blood and bits of bone, sobbing in the most annoying way possible. Gabriel rolled her eyes as she walked over.

“You are a pain in my ass, _puta_ ,” she growled.

She lifted her foot and brought it down hard on the woman’s head. Her skull shattered on impact and Gabriel ground the meat of her foot down into the mess. She pulled her foot out of the remains of the woman’s head and dragged her boot across the floor.

She glanced at the two men and smiled. “So, who’s first?”

By the time she was done, only one executive was left alive. The other man was a lifeless husk, his soul currently floating around in Gabriel’s gut somewhere as she toyed with her last mouse. He was sobbing and begging for mercy, a mixture of snot and tears flowing down his face.

“Please, we were given a tip! I don’t know who it was from,” the man sobbed. “All I know is that he contacted us and requested a large sum of money for his information. Please, please spare me! I have a family!”

“And you think my soldiers didn’t?” she whispered against his cheek. “You think the lives of the men and women that died today is worth less than your miserable hide? If I didn’t need your sorry ass to drag before my superiors, you would be joining your boss in the forest. Count your lucky stars, _pendejo_.”

She shoved the man to the ground and gave him a hard kick in the stomach. He sobbed and curled around his middle, choking on his own spit as she turned around. She left the secondary cargo bay and returned to where the remainder of her soldiers were waiting.

A few nervously met her gaze as she breezed past them. Most kept their eyes on their feet until she had passed. Vert looked up from where he was stitching Ash’s face shut and tilted his head towards where McCree was lying on a cot. Gabriel nodded her head in thanks and headed for where her pup was lying.

Hanzo was half-asleep on his chest, his good hand held tightly between her own. She stirred as Gabriel approached, her brown eyes unfocused. She bristled defensively, pulling McCree’s hand close to her chest before she focused on Gabriel’s face. There was a quick flicker of recognition and her tense posture relaxed.

“He hasn’t woken up,” Hanzo murmured as Gabriel sat down beside her.

“Might be for the best,” Gabriel soothed as she ran a hand up and down Hanzo’s back. “We’ll be touching down at base soon, I figure. You should get some rest.”

Hanzo shook her head and pulled McCree’s good hand to her chest. “No. I’m fine. Sleep will…not be peaceful.”

“Vert has pills for that,” Gabriel smiled.

“I am fine, Commander, but thank you for your concern,” Hanzo nodded her head.

“It’s the least I can do for bringing Jesse back,” she smiled. “Think morale would have dropped off the charts if he died.”

“Yes…I think it would have,” Hanzo agreed softly.

Hanzo reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair off of McCree’s face. McCree let out a soft noise and his head followed her fingers as she pulled away. Gabriel smiled, wondering when this tenderness between the two of them had developed and if it would stay once McCree was back on his feet. She hoped it did; the two of them would definitely be an adorable couple. Might even put her and Jack to shame someday.

She felt eyes boring past her and glanced up. Amelie was glaring daggers into Hanzo, her brown eyes colder than usual. Gabriel lifted an eyebrow at the woman and she immediately looked away, dropping her gaze back to her sniper rifle as she cleaned it.

 _‘What the hell, Amelie; you’re married,’_ Gabriel thought. _‘And you’re ready to kill Jesse most of the time. What are you playing at?’_

Something wiggled incessantly at the back of her mind, but she couldn’t put a finger on what it was. She made a mental note to keep a closer eye on her favourite sniper, just in case. The last thing she needed was a messy fight to break out because Amelie decided that she wanted McCree all to herself like a spoiled child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did that satisfy you? Because I'm certainly purring about what happened here. Does Hanzo's vice surprise you? She's very much aware of how much pressure she puts on herself to be perfect, even if she isn't going to be head of the Shimada Clan anymore.
> 
> Gabriel is brutal when she is pissed. Forget zero to one hundred; she's broken the scale and gone full supernova.


	15. Chapter 14

Gabriel held Hanzo back as the doctors wheeled McCree into the medical bay. She was screaming and sobbing as she fought against Gabriel’ grip. She hadn’t left McCree’s side the whole way back to base. She had held his remaining hand and ran her fingers through his shaggy brown hair, ignoring any attempt to move her.

McCree needed extensive surgery for his amputated limb and that meant no bystanders while the doctors worked. Gabriel knew what it was like to be denied access to a loved one during a major surgery, but that didn’t mean she was going to break protocol. She got written up when she did it with Jack; her superiors would flay Hanzo on the spot if they found out she had tried with McCree.

“Listen to me, Hanzo,” she growled into Hanzo’s ear. “He’s in good hands. You need medical attention. Now. Stop fighting.”

Hanzo spat something in Japanese, but it didn’t have the same bite as it should have. She was a mess of blood, vomit, and every other fluid that came out of her face. Vert had managed to pull the larger chunks of glass out, but there were innumerable small ones still deeply embedded in her flesh. She had to get them out before they got infected.

“Come on,” Gabriel hoisted Hanzo up against her chest and dragged her over to where a doctor was seeing to the non-life threatening injuries.

Hanzo fought her as Gabriel set her down. Without hesitating, Gabriel slapped Hanzo across the face. The red hand mark swelled on Hanzo’s injured cheek, but it seemed to knock some sense back into her. Gabriel leaned forward, bringing her face within inches of Hanzo’s.

“Now you listen here; Jesse is in good hands. Those doctors are the best this world has to offer. Angela will be damned before she lets him die. You CANNOT go in there; that’s the rules and I can’t bend them. I know it hurts, but you have to suck it up and let the docs do their job.”

Hanzo’s eyes filled with tears, but she stubbornly held them in. “Understood, Commander.”

“Good,” Gabriel nodded. “Now get yourself looked at, Hanzo, and come see me when you’re done. I need a report of what happened and your team captain is indisposed at the moment.”

Hanzo nodded and sat quietly waiting for one of the other doctors to come tend to her wounds. Gabriel patted her shoulder and left to track down Jack. They had a lot of reports to listen to.

None of them were good. None of the teams got out with all of their members in one piece and two teams of her most highly trained agents were wiped out. Everything had gone to Hell and all she had to go on was one sobbing Viskhar executive claiming that someone had tipped them off.

Hanzo’s report was no more helpful, but no less terrible to hear. She spoke with a detachment in her voice that Gabriel didn’t like; she was being too clinical, too clean-cut, to not have suffered for what she saw. Everything from the lasers to the omnics made Gabriel’s skin crawl and Jack and Ana did not seem to be faring much better.

By the time Hanzo was finished, Jack looked ill. He barely managed to grate out a dismissal before he sank his head into his hands. Hanzo left without a word, her black hair swaying behind her with her blood-stained scarf fluttering in her wake.

Gabriel waited for the door to close before she leaned her head back. “Fuck.”

Ana gathered up the papers in front of her without a word and left, promising to sort through them for Jack. As soon as she was gone, Jack was on his feet. His hand settled on the heaviest thing on the table and he whipped the stapler across the room with a wordless snarl. It shattered on impact with the wall, but Jack didn’t seem to have notice.

“That’s another mission,” he snarled, “another mission met with crippling failure. What the ever fucking HELL?! Why is this happening? Why are our agents suffering like this?!”

Gabriel got to her feet as Jack ran his fingers angrily through his hair. She calmly took him by the shoulders and held him close, kissing his brow as he accepted the chance to hide his face. She ran her fingers through his hair, humming softly as he clung to her.

They didn’t have to say out loud what they had suspected for a while. There was a mole somewhere in Blackwatch feeding information to anyone that her unit was planning on hitting. There was no way that their targets should have known they were coming and been that prepared. The only infuriating part was trying to figure out who the mole was. There were too many potential candidates and no way to wheedle the numbers down. For all she knew, the bastard had been killed during the mission and had taken all of their secrets to the grave.

“What are we going to do?” Jack whispered against her throat.

“Same thing as usual, _querido_ ; hold on and offer support where we can,” she said.

Jack let out a soft hiss against her throat and she felt tears roll down her collar. She held her sensitive Jack close, shielding him from the world as best as she could. Their superiors would want a full report on what happened, but that could wait. Right now, her lover needed her more.

* * *

 

She was at that damn river again. Genji was splashing around with the koi, trying to grab the poor things because he wanted to help them make it up the waterfall. He didn’t understand that fish can’t breathe when they weren’t in water. For dragons’ sake, Genji, you’re seven! You can’t just grab fish like that, put it down!

Her grandmother’s words rang in her head as she hurried forward through the warm water, swatting at Genji to make him put the wriggling fish down. _“Of course you can go play in the river, darlings! Just be very careful; there’ve been heavy rains further upstream. I don’t want you playing near the waterfalls.”_

Genji didn’t listen; the Sparrow never heeded any words but his own. Hanzo splashed after him, shouting that he was too close to the waterfalls and _Sofu_ was going to kill him. Genji didn’t listen, laughing instead as he splashed through the deeper water, shouting at her to keep up.

A sound like thunder echoed in her head. She rushed forward, screaming for Genji to run. Her brother was too slow, scrambling in the deep water as the first log appeared at the lip of the waterfall. Everything felt like it was slowing down as Hanzo looped her arms under Genji’s body and hauled him away. Trees came tumbling down over the waterfall, too close, far too close. She scrambled into shallow water and gave Genji a toss, getting him to the shore faster than his short legs would have been able to.

He landed and screamed, rolling over and scrambling onto his hands and knees. His brown eyes widened and it was the last thing she remembered seeing before the uprooted trees struck her. She was dragged under the water, her legs crushed and pinned between the trunks. She was screaming, fighting against the forces trying to keep her below the surface. Genji was screaming, but his words were nonsense every time her head momentarily broke the surface.

There was more screaming and more pain as the trunks were lifted off of her legs. She was lifted free of the water, choking on air as she tried to breathe. Her legs dangled uselessly below her and she heard the words “never walk again” ring endlessly through her mind. She was held against a warm, protective chest that slowly faded into nothingness, leaving her to fall through a void of cold darkness.

Hanzo woke with a soft gasp, clawing at her bedsheets as she reached desperately towards her legs. Hands grabbed her shoulders and held her still. A voice mumbled something sleepily in her ears and she shook her head, trying to clear it of the screaming.

“My legs, my legs,” she whimpered. “I can’t feel my legs.”

“Hanzo, Hanzo, you aren’t there,” Genji’s voice finally penetrated the haze of her mind. “You aren’t at _Sofu_ ’s pond. You’re here with me, safe, in Watchpoint: Gibraltar. You’re legs are fine.”

She reached down and felt the braces on her legs. The doctors had lied; she had walked again. She walked and ran and jumped and no one could keep up with her. They had lied and she had beaten the odds. She relaxed against the bed, breathing deeply to calm her racing heart.

“Same old nightmare?” Genji asked.

“Little surprised it wasn’t something else,” she murmured as she rolled onto her back. “All these doctors at the Watchpoint and not one of them has any sort of training in psychiatric practices. How fucking useless.”

Genji snorted in amusement and rested his head on her shoulder. Zenyatta let out a soft noise on Genji’s other side before he rolled over. Omnics didn’t really sleep, but they did power down enough to dream. She hoped Zenyatta was dreaming of nicer things than what haunted her.

Someone knocked on the door and Genji rose, climbing carefully over Hanzo so he didn’t drive a hard piece of his armor into her. Hanzo closed her eyes, fully prepared to go back to sleep when Tracer’s voice made its way through the room.

“Morning, Genji! Don’t suppose you know where Hanzo is? I checked her room but she wasn’t there,” Tracer chirped, that perpetually happy voice refusing to let Hanzo fall back asleep.

Zenyatta’s blue forehead dots brightened and he lifted his head off of the pillow. They exchanged a look and Hanzo hauled herself into a sitting position.

“Black or brown jacket?” she yawned.

“Black,” Genji called over his shoulder.

“Morning, Louis,” Hanzo stretched her arms over her head. Her back popped audibly and Zenyatta snapped his head towards her, blue dots flashing. “You hit me with those harmony orbs and I will not be impressed.”

As if to taunt her, one of Zenyatta’s orbs came floating up to her face. It glowed bright blue before gently booping against her nose. The momentary surge of regenerative energy was refreshing, but it didn’t stop Hanzo from grabbing the orb and lobbing it at Zenyatta’s head.

“They have a mind of their own,” Zenyatta shrugged as the orb started floating around him rather than hitting him.

“Uh huh,” Hanzo huffed as she got to her feet. She pulled on a pair of discarded track pants before walking over to Genji and Tracer. “What’s the emergency?”

She didn’t care if anyone could see Kita’s neck and head; she wasn’t in the mood to care about anything. It had been two days since Germany and she had barely gotten any sleep. She had been plagued by nightmares, most of them utter nonsense that left her shaking beside her brother, but every now and then she saw something that made her break down into tears.

She hadn’t been allowed in to see McCree either. The medical staff refused to give her any sort of update on his status. She wasn’t his next of kin, so she had no right to know what was happening to him. It infuriated her, more because they were right than anything else. She didn’t have a right to know how he was, but she had not hauled his ass across the tarmac to find out several days later that he had died.

“No emergency, love,” Tracer smiled at her, pushing his brown hair out of his face. “Angela sent me looking for you. Said McCree’s awake and asking for you if you wanted to see him.”

Hanzo’s heart slammed against her ribcage. She gave a stuttered thanks to Tracer before charging past him, stumbling as her thighs turned to jelly. Genji yelled after her about a shirt, but she ignored him. Her running around in a tight black tank top wasn’t something anyone hadn’t already seen every other woman on base do.

She hurried down into the medical bay, slipping past a small group of nurses going over medical notes for various patients. A few nodded to her as she passed, smiling reassuringly as she wove her way through the medical beds looking for McCree’s. The stupid BAMF belt hanging on the bed post gave him away and she slipped around the privacy screen.

McCree was propped up in his bed, his one good hand scratching at his hairy chest through his hospital gown. His other arm was restrained, bandaged, and fitted with a temporary prosthetic to get him used to the idea of wearing one for the rest of his life. He looked terrible, shaggier and more disheveled than usual with enormous black bags under his eyes. Somehow, he managed to perk up at the sight of her, throwing her a stupid grin in as she moved to sit down.

“Hey, Hanzo, what I miss?” he asked.

“Good news or bad news?” she asked in return.

His expression fell and he reached up to rub his face. “Gabe already filled me in on the shit show,” he murmured. “Fuck.”

She reached out and gently took his hand. She did her best not to marvel at the rough texture of his palm as she held his hand between her own. He turned his brown eyes on her and she let herself smile.

“I got you to safety,” she said. “That’s a victory in my books.”

“You got a way with words, Hanzo,” McCree smiled. “Didn’t strike you as a poet.”

“I’m not; I find poetry to be terrible most of the time,” she chuckled. “And you saved me as well.”

“How do you figure that?” McCree frowned.

“Last time I checked, you were the one driving the truck,” she smiled, pulling her lips back to flash her fangs. “And you pulled me back down to make sure I didn’t get crushed by a hanger door.”

McCree grinned and tilted his head back to laugh. “You know, Hanzo, about that kiss,” he mused, “it was sort of…bad?”

“Excuse me?” Hanzo lifted an eyebrow.

“Well, not bad because of you, darlin’,” he explained quickly. “I mean, it tasted terrible. Blood and vomit and all that fun stuff that really tastes like shit.”

“You aren’t helping your case,” Hanzo warned playfully. “Maybe I liked the kiss.”

She had, in spite of the taste. She’d wanted to kiss McCree for a while, long before he set up that stupid wager. Sure, it was fun to torment the man because he had set himself up for it, but damn if it hadn’t felt good to press her lips against his.

“I can bet it didn’t taste good for you either,” McCree pouted. “Hells, Hanzo, I was bleeding!”

“I’ve had someone throw up in my mouth during a kiss; blood is nothing,” Hanzo shrugged. At McCree’s stunned look, she shrugged again. “We were both drunk and she couldn’t hold her liquor.”

“Oh…oh no,” McCree’s face fell. “Oh no, Hanzo are you…?”

“No preference,” she smirked. “Or at least I never really cared about something as simple as gender identity. Male, female, non-binary, fluid; doesn’t matter to me. I generally hate everyone.”

“Oh,” McCree relaxed. “Oh okay.”

“I should have said ‘yes, I’m a lesbian’ just to watch you squirm,” Hanzo flashed her fangs.

A blush of red spread across McCree’s face and he swallowed nosily. “So, like I was saying,” he squeaked out. “That kiss, I think we need to redo it. You know? Make it a little bit better when I don’t think I’m about to drop dead.”

Hanzo lifted an eyebrow and slowly got to her feet. She kept McCree’s hand in one of hers, slowly lacing their fingers together while her other reached up to cup his face. She ran her thumb over his soul-patch, watching his brown eyes widen and his pupils dilate. She leaned in close, softening her eyes to make him squirm. She brushed her lips against the far side of his jaw before placing a kiss on McCree’s cheek.

“Last time I checked, you guessed wrong twice before hitting home,” she purred into his ear.

She pulled away and she could almost hear the steam coming out of McCree’s ears. He stared at her as she sat down, releasing his hand so that she could prop her elbow up on the arm of her chair. She grinned, resting her jaw on her knuckles and crossing her legs.

“Throw me a damn bone, woman!” McCree shouted.

Hanzo let her gaze drift to the white sheets of the bed. There was a noticeable lump beneath the bedsheets where McCree’s groin would have been. “I believe I did,” she said.

McCree let out a noise and covered his face. “Woman!”

Hanzo grinned and watched the man squirm. It was incredibly enjoyable to watch. “One more round of punishment,” she crooned. “Then we’ll see about a retake.”

McCree’s glare could have melted ice, but Hanzo only found it funny. She tilted her head and grinned at him, flashing her fangs. The blush of red spread its way down his neck and across his chest. His hand wasn’t big enough to hide it.

* * *

 

He barely had time to think before her fist connected with his jaw. He sprawled out on the floor, stars dancing in front of his eyes.

“If you _ever_ undermine me again, I will tear your spine out and send it to the boss as a present,” she snarled. “Do you have any idea what you have done?!”

“I fucked up, I know,” he whined. “I was hoping to get that bitch killed….”

“Yes, and instead you managed to wipe out most of Blackwatch and almost all of our agents stationed at this Watchpoint,” she snarled and kicked him hard in the stomach. “This is why you have no rank, you bumbling idiot! Everything was set up for a reason! Now we have nothing to use against Overwatch when the time comes; Reyes killed three of the executives we managed to pull out of there and the one she left alive was scheduled to leave for an extended vacation anyways. They won’t know he’s missing until it’s too late. Do you even understand how much you have fucked up?”

“Badly,” he whimpered. “Please…please, give me another chance.”

“You’re lucky,” she growled. “Your skills are exemplary and still of use to us. Remember your place or next time one of the janitors will be cleaning your brains off the wall.”

She turned and left, leaving him to pull himself back to his feet. He spat out a mouthful of blood on the ground, thankful that Nox couldn’t see him here. The last thing he wanted was for Reyes to get her hands on him. If she ever found out what he had done, he was worse than dead.

“I’m sorry, Grayson,” he whispered in the darkness. “I’m so, so sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to heat up on all fronts. Gabe and Jack know for certain there's a mole somewhere in Blackwatch, Jesse and Hanzo are dancing a little bit closer together, and meetings in the dark are spelling trouble. What will happen next? Stayed tuned to find out.
> 
> Translations:   
> querido: my darling  
> sofu: grandfather


	16. Chapter 15

Hanzo wasn’t allowed in the medical bay while McCree had his new arm attached. Angela didn’t give her a reason, just a sweet smile and a promise that she’d see him as soon as he was released. While not happy about the turn of events, she didn’t have the power to argue with the doctor. She didn’t think even the Strike Commander could get her to budge on her decision.

The kitchens were quiet at least, leaving her time to make herself tea without worrying about being bothered. For the most part, anyways. There was always someone coming up to her, smiling reassuringly and telling her that she did good getting McCree out of the hellhole they charged into. She didn’t do much beyond nod, preferring that everyone just left her alone.

She was still having nightmares, but she didn’t wake up screaming. She’d been able to move back into her own room and not have to call Genji every night to come hold her through the worst of her tremors. She was getting a little bit more sleep and it felt good not to have black bruises under her eyes.

She had barely managed to stir honey into her tea when Tracer appeared at her elbow. Hanzo almost flinched, but she had heard Tracer approaching less than a second before they appeared. She glanced over, noted the brown bomber jacket, and nodded.

“Hello, Lena,” she said. “How can I help you?”

“Well, Morrison and Reyes pretty much gave the entire base a few weeks off,” Lena grinned up at her. “So, I and a lot of the other ladies have decided we are in desperate need of some retail therapy.”

“A shopping trip?” Hanzo lifted an eyebrow at the smaller woman as she turned around to lean on the counter and sip her tea. “Where?”

“London!” Lena chirped happily, folding her arms behind her back. “I’ll be flying us all out this evening. Girls weekend and all that.”

“Hmm,” Hanzo mused softly.

She stayed quiet, her eyes watching Lena’s smile slowly fade. She had never been overly fond of shopping, more because she had a very short tolerance for being around people and there were always way too many people in a shopping center and they were always pushy. However, it had been a long time since she could lose herself in a crowd of people and actually find something enjoyable to wear. It might do her some good to get off base.

“You don’t have to,” Lena stammered out.

“What time are you leaving tonight?” Hanzo asked, silencing Lena.

“Eight o’clock sharp!” Lena’s face bloomed into a brilliant smile. “Hanger 3 in the gigantic shuttle.”

“I will be there,” Hanzo nodded her head and sipped her tea.

“Awesome!” Lena crowed. “You’ll love this, Hanzo, I promise.”

“Mmm,” Hanzo shrugged a shoulder. “We’ll see.”

Lena flittered off to tackle another woman and Hanzo finished her tea. She returned to her room and started looking for her wallet, grumbling as she took stock of her credit cards. There were, naturally, more than she knew what to do with; she could have bought ten houses and the banks would have begged her to buy more. Sighing, she carried the wallet over to her computer and logged into her various bank accounts, making sure that there was enough money in each account that she could debit if she needed to.

“What are you doing?” Genji asked as he flopped on her shoulders. “Why the hell do you have that kind of money and I don’t?!”

“Because you were dead and I never got my name removed from Father’s will,” Hanzo replied as she logged out of her account and rubbed her neck. “Please don’t flop on me again. You’re really heavy.”

“Lies; I’m light as a feather!” Genji laughed. “Why were you looking at your accounts?”

“Shopping trip with the girls this weekend,” she sighed and rubbed her face.

“You have girlfriends?” Genji asked.

“Fuck off,” Hanzo reached up to shove her brother off of her. “Lena invited me.”

“Can I come?” Genji’s visor brightened.

“Sounded like it was girls only to me,” Hanzo smirked.

“That’s not fair,” he whined and flopped dramatically onto her bed. “I’ve been cooped up on this base for months! MONTHS! I will rust away into nothing!”

“Uh huh,” Hanzo stretched her arms over her head and got to her feet. “If you are done being dramatic, _otouto_ , I need to pack.”

“Can I help?” he bounced up eagerly.

“I suppose,” she shook her head.

“YES! BOREDOM AVERTED!” Genji crowed before he bounced to his feet and started pulling out Hanzo’s limited amount of clothing.

By the time her suitcase was packed, Genji had made a list of all the things she had to buy. She was incredibly tempted to hit him every time he said something, but she opted for pouting instead. She did not need more sports bras; okay, something other than black would be nice and yes hers were getting a little small, shut up. She did not do frills, Genji; but that one shirt you found a picture of in a woman’s magazine did look nice. Where did you even get that stupid thing? She hated jean shopping, Genji; nothing ever fit! Okay, the last time she went shopping for jeans she was twenty, but the point still stood!

“And socks,” Genji nodded.

“Genji, I don’t wear socks,” Hanzo rolled her eyes. “I CAN’T wear socks.”

“You could fit them under your boots,” he chirped.

“They’re skin tight, Genji,” Hanzo shook her head.

“So we buy you a new pair of boots! There, problem solved.”

“If I didn’t love you so much, I think I’d have to hit you,” she sighed as she put her suitcase by the door.

“You hit me anyways,” Genji laughed as he hugged her. “But I know it’s because I’m being an ass.”

Hanzo shook her head and returned the hug. He slipped off shortly after her alarm went off, promising to be good while she was gone. She was in Hanger 3 by 7:30 and seated in the back of the shuttle.

“Evening!” Lena chimed as she spotted her. “All ready to go?”

“I am,” Hanzo nodded her head. She glanced at the other women in the shuttle. “This should be…interesting.”

“It’ll be fun,” Lena promised as she turned around. “Oiy, love; girls only!”

Genji froze, one foot in the air as he tried to creep towards Hanzo’s location. He waved slowly and Hanzo shook her head. The Sparrow never listened.

“Genji,” she scolded gently.

“Out,” Lena laughed and waved her hands at him.

Genji slipped past her and buckled himself in beside Hanzo. “Nope.”

Some of the other women started shouting at him and Genji lifted a hand. “So you’re telling me Louis isn’t going to be making an appearance?” he asked.

Lena’s eyebrows shot up towards her hairline and she threw her head back in laughter. “Okay, point taken,” she teased. “Amelie, go find McCree. It’s not fair if I let Genji go but tell him to take a hike.”

Amelie got to her feet, shooting Genji a glare as he settled down triumphantly. Hanzo patted her brother’s head, amused that he had managed to figure out a way to travel with her.

“Someone has some major separation anxieties,” she teased.

“Last time I let you out of my sight, you came back with your face full of broken glass,” Genji murmured and looped his fingers with hers. “Besides, someone has to be there to hold you when your nightmares strike.”

“My sweet little brother,” she crooned as she nuzzled his cheek. “Always looking out for your _oneesan_.”

Genji let out a happy noise as McCree stepped into the shuttle. He glanced around, spotted Hanzo, and walked proudly over.

“Well, whatda think?” he asked as he dropped down beside her and held his mechanical arm out. “Pretty spiffy, right?”

Hanzo arched an eyebrow at him and gently pulled his arm closer to have a look. “Didn’t know skulls were part of your motif,” she commented as she curled each finger into McCree’s palm, testing the flexibility and resilience of the metal.

The craftsmanship of the prosthetic was amazing. Every little piece moved fluidly, almost acting like a real flesh-and-blood hand and arm. She wasn’t entirely sure what the additional nub on his elbow was for, but it was probably something to keep the nerve endings connected properly. She ran her fingers slowly over the cool metal, marvelling as small pieces twisted and moved with any of McCree’s movements.

“Figured it would look good,” McCree grinned. “Make the bad guys run in terror at the sight of me.”

He lifted his arm and flexed, playfully showing off where his bicep was still intact. Genji pretended to swoon, bracing the back of his hand against his forehead while fanning himself. Hanzo rolled her eyes, pushed the sleeves of her shirt up to her shoulders, and flexed her impressive biceps. She smirked as McCree’s jaw fell open.

“Now that’s just showin’ off,” he gawked.

The engines started up as Genji sprawled out in Hanzo’s lap, gasping for air as he reached for her biceps. “I cannot take the beauty!”

“You dork,” she grumbled as she looped an arm around her brother’s head and hugged him. “Buckle yourself in before you go flying.”

Genji snickered as he belted himself in properly, shooting a look at McCree as Hanzo fished her phone out of a pocket. She didn’t see what hand signal he made, but she did feel McCree’s mechanical arm settle over her shoulder as he leaned down to look at her phone.

“That’s a high quality phone,” he mused. “Where’d you get it?”

“The store,” Hanzo replied as she slipped her headphones over her ears. “Arm off the shoulders.”

He wisely removed his arm and leaned back in his chair. “Wake me if something interesting happens,” he said as he pulled his hat down over his face.

Hanzo glanced at Genji and glared at him. “Stop trying to be his wingman,” she growled in Japanese.

Genji gave her his best innocent look. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, _oneesan,_ ” he chirped.

Hanzo snorted and scrolled over to where her music was stored. She tuned out the engines for the rest of the flight to London, occasionally sharing one of her headphones with McCree when he spotted a song he liked.

When they touched down in London, everyone was jetlagged. They managed to drag themselves to the hotel that Lena had booked for everyone, get themselves into their rooms, and collapsed on their beds. McCree and Genji stayed with Hanzo and Lena, sharing a bed that first night because Lena was too tired to discuss the arrangement beyond “boys in that bed, girls on this one”.

* * *

 

Shopping wasn’t McCree’s preferred method of relaxing, but he got a kick out of watching everyone else run around a store looking for something to wear. He almost wished that Gabriel had tagged along, if only to see her pout at all of the “cute” things made for women three times smaller than her. It didn’t surprise him when they walked into the first store and Hanzo made a beeline for the men’s section. It did surprise him, however, when she checked the price of a shirt and grimaced about how cheap it was.

“Wait,” he doubled back and gawked at her. “You think that’s _cheap_?”

Hanzo didn’t answer him as she put the shirt back and started searching for something else. She pulled out a flannel shirt and smirked, turning to put it against his chest.

“Aw, it suits you, cowboy,” she teased.

“I always look good in flannel,” he agreed with a grin.

“Found something!” Genji chimed as he appeared at her elbow. “And I even managed to find it in blue.”

Lena had insisted that Genji not walk around London “naked” regardless of the fact that he looked like an omnic. Tensions were still high in most of Europe where omnics were concerned and Lena believed that seeing him in human clothing might ease some of the suspicion thrown his way. As a result, he was wearing a pair of Hanzo’s track pants; the ends were rolled up so he didn’t trip over them, the short ass; and Louis’ black bomber jacket over one of McCree’s graphic t-shirts that proudly called him a catch. He looked funny, in McCree’s opinion, but Genji seemed to be enjoying himself.

“What did I say about frills?” Hanzo grimaced as she looked at the shirt.

“But it’s in your size!” Genji whined. “And I know it’ll look good on you.”

Hanzo took the shirt like it was covered in something unpleasant and held it up for a better look. McCree thought it looked nice enough for a shirt; he really had no opinion on clothing when it came to whatever was deemed “women’s fashion”; and it was blue.

“This looks like something one of the women from those video games you used to play would wear,” she grumbled.

“Just try it on, _oneesan_ ,” Genji rolled his head as if he was rolling his eyes.

Hanzo let out a groan as she tossed the shirt over her arm with the rest of the items she was going to try on. McCree held onto the flannel she had handed to him, grinning at Genji when he flashed him thumbs up. She made her way to the change rooms and vanished into a stall. Genji leaned on the wall and cocked his head to the side.

“You have to come out and show me,” he called. Hanzo snapped something in Japanese and Genji cackled. “Don’t care.”

Hanzo stomped out with the blue blouse on and stood there with her hands on her hips. McCree stared, fighting to keep the grin off of his face. She looked good; the ruffles weren’t as bad as they looked on the hanger and it was loose enough on her to meet her standards of “not skin tight but not baggy”. He wanted to whistle, but that would just end poorly for him.

“See? It looks good,” Genji chirped.

“I’ll admit that,” Hanzo growled as she looked at herself in the full-length mirror. “You would find something like this and it would look good on me. I hate you.”

“Yes, that is already evident; now hurry up before the others make up their minds about what actually is going to fit them,” Genji laughed. “I don’t want to get flattened.”

Hanzo shot him a glare before she vanished back into the stall. She didn’t emerge for a few more minutes, tossing a couple of shirts over the top of the stall for Genji to put back. Genji dutifully did his job until he let out a loud gasp. McCree glanced over, curious as to what had caught the ninja’s eye, and managed to dodge out of the way as a streak of green went sailing by him. Hanzo had just opened the door to the stall when Genji shoved her back inside.

“This! This! You have to try it on!” Genji squealed.

“You have got to be joking,” Hanzo growled. “It’s bad enough that you got me in a blouse, now you bring me… _this_?!”

“It will look good, trust me.”

“You could wait outside.”

“Hell no! I want to see it,” Genji snickered and said something in Japanese.

“I hate you.”

McCree cocked his head to the side, but wisely kept his mouth shut. He heard Hanzo cursing on the other side of the stall door and Genji’s victorious cackle. Apparently, whatever he had grabbed looked really good on Hanzo.

“I hate you.”

Hanzo stepped out of the stall a few minutes later, her stack of clothing tossed over her arm. She went straight to the counter to pay for everything, tugging the shirt out of McCree’s hands before he could protest.

“Oh, come on, Hanzo; I can pay for my own things,” McCree grumbled as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

“It’s nothing for me to pay,” Hanzo shrugged as she swiped her credit card.

McCree caught sight of the bill and felt sick to his stomach. “Hanzo that’s not nothing,” he groaned.

Hanzo handed the shopping bag to him and gave a nasty smirk. “You really are a plebeian, cowboy,” she teased. “This is nothing compared to what I’ve spent in a store.”

McCree’s mouth fell open as she turned and walked away. He glanced at Genji and the ninja shrugged.

“Our mother had expensive tastes and expected her daughter to have the same ideals,” he said.

“It was over two hundred pounds!” McCree yelped.

“That’s it?” Genji let out a soft noise. “Huh, she’s restraining herself.”

McCree stared at him in horror. “I think I need to sit down,” he choked out.

“Benches are outside,” Genji chirped and trotted ahead of him. “Ooh, ice cream.”

McCree didn’t even bother pointing out that Genji couldn’t eat ice cream anymore. He just followed at the chipper ninja’s heels and dropped down beside Hanzo on the bench outside the store. He glanced at her as she slipped her headphones over her ears and scrolled through the music on her phone. Was she a lot more high maintenance than he had thought?

* * *

 

“I’m sorry, but your omnic has to wait outside.”

Hanzo stopped dead in her tracks. “Pardon?” she asked sweetly.

Genji waited a step behind his sister, watching as she turned towards the worker that had walked out to meet them. The others slipped past, casting nervous glances over their shoulders. McCree stopped as soon as he realized that the worker had been speaking with Hanzo. Genji made a small sign with his hand, asking McCree to let Hanzo handle this.

“Your omnic, miss,” the worker nodded towards Genji. “It has to stay outside. Store policy.”

“Store policy?” Hanzo asked, flicking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Yes, miss. Omnics aren’t allowed inside.”

The man was growing nervous. Genji kept his hands loose at his side; he felt naked without his swords, but it would have been stupid to bring them with him. This wasn’t the first time they had been stopped outside of a store, but it was the first time someone had blatantly said that he wasn’t allowed inside.

“Is there a manager I can speak with about this?” Hanzo asked sweetly.

“This isn’t anything,” the worker started to say before Hanzo’s smile dropped.

“Allow me to clarify myself,” she said. “I want to speak with your manager concerning the treatment of my ‘omnic’.” She spat the word out like it was poison.

The man looked between Hanzo and McCree, completely ignoring Genji. He would have been annoyed if he wasn’t sadly used to it. McCree lifted an eyebrow at the man, but didn’t do anything other than set his hands on his hips.

“You want me to do it for you, fella?” McCree asked.

“One moment,” the man nodded before he hurried into the store.

“Be nice,” Genji murmured as he touched Hanzo’s hand.

“I will be if the manager can give me a justified reason as to why you aren’t allowed in,” Hanzo growled.

It only took a few minutes before a smiling woman with a large brown eyes walked out of the store. “Is there a problem, miss?”

“I was informed that my companion wasn’t allowed in the store,” Hanzo adopted her sweet smile again. “A store policy was mentioned.”

“Yes,” the woman smiled sadly and nodded her head. “We have had a lot of issues with omnics at this store and as a result our district manager has concluded that no one can bring their omnics into the store.”

“You don’t say,” Hanzo mused and tipped her head to the side. “What sort of trouble? I don’t see why an omnic would shoplift from your store or harass your employees. Unless, of course, the issue isn’t with the omnics but rather the fact that you can’t control an omnic like they’re a stupid machine.” Her sweetness vanished and she rose up to her full height, towering over the woman that was suddenly quaking in fear. “You want to enact a foolish policy to satisfy your disdain for omnics? Fine; that’s on you when the authorities show up. But next time you want to enforce such an asinine policy, make sure it’s actually an omnic you’re talking about.”

“A-actually an omnic?” the woman parroted.

Hanzo smiled a savage little smile. “Yes; surprising, isn’t it? Someone can be encased in metal and not be an omnic. Keep your dime-store quality merchandise for the rest of your equally trashy clientele.”

Without another word, Hanzo turned and strode away, lacing her fingers with Genji’s as he trotted after her. He waited until they were a safe distance from the store before he hugged her tightly.

“You didn’t have to do that,” he murmured. “I could have waited outside.”

“You know where you can stuff that idea,” she growled as she sat down. “Would you have stood for it if they had said that to Zenyatta?”

“Well, no,” Genji admitted as he sat down beside her.

“So why would I stand for it where it concerns my brother?” Hanzo snorted as she pulled her brother close and kissed his cheek.

McCree leaned on the back of the bench and smirked down at Hanzo. “Remind me not to insult your little brother in front of you,” he teased.

“Not so much insult as so much imply that he’s not allowed to do something because of how he looks,” Hanzo growled.

Genji smiled and snuggled against Hanzo’s side. “I appreciate it regardless, _oneesan_ ,” he chirped.

“You’d better, because I just called everyone we’re travelling with terrible people,” Hanzo sighed.

Genji cackled and leaned back, lifting a fist towards McCree. “Oh, trust me, they should feel like terrible people. They left you to terrorize that poor worker. How many times have you pulled the ‘I want to speak to a manager’ line?”

“Too many times,” she sighed. “I always seem to find the one employee that is a giant jackass.”

“Sure,” McCree teased as he bumped his fist against Genji’s. “Or you’re just used to getting your own way.”

“There is that,” Hanzo smirked. “Blame my mother for instilling such terrible standards into me.”

Genji laughed harder as Hanzo slipped her headphones over her ears, stopping the conversation before it could go any further. McCree climbed over the bench to sit next to her, his metal arm stretching across the back of the bench. Hanzo shot him a look, but didn’t say anything as she offered her right headphone to him.

Genji leaned back a little, grinning behind his mask as he watched the two of them scroll through music. They were so cute together. If only his sister wasn’t so stubborn and McCree would tone down his advances just a little. There was only so much advice a little brother could offer though; neither seemed to want to listen to him anyways.

Lena showed up shortly after, curious as to why they weren’t shopping. Genji explained the situation and Lena just about exploded with anger. She made to storm towards the store and Genji followed her. With a grin, they ducked into a different store and tip-toed their way around Hanzo and McCree so they had a better view of what they were doing.

“They’re so cute,” Lena whispered.

“I know,” Genji nodded. “Ooh, look!”

McCree tipped his head towards Hanzo, squinting down at the phone. Hanzo was fiddling with something, her bottom lip sitting between her teeth. Very slowly, McCree inched forward, aiming a kiss for her cheek. At the last possible second, Hanzo frowned and lowered her head, squinting at her screen as McCree missed her head completely.

“No way,” Lena whined.

“She did it on purpose,” Genji hissed. “ _Oneesan_ , why must you be so cruel?”

“You sure she did that on purpose?” Lena asked.

“Yes, she’s smirking,” Genji pouted.

“Why would she do that?” Lena whined.

“Don’t know, but look how sad he is,” Genji sighed. “She can be so mean.”

He looked away for a moment, trying to see if the other women were done shopping, and almost missed McCree resting his cheek on Hanzo’s head. She pressed closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder. Lena and Genji let out almost identical squeals of delight and high-fived with both hands. Operation: Save a Horse was starting to bear fruit!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sort of a filler chapter that has impacts later on. Hanzo is taking this at her pace; try to keep up Jesse.


	17. Chapter 16

Morrison grabbed Hanzo’s arm, but his grip was terrible. Hanzo expertly twisted under his outstretched arm and pressed the palm of her hand against his elbow, pushing until he let out a sharp grunt of pain. She stepped closer, shoving her hip up against his and moved her left leg between his. In less than a second, she swept his leg out from under him, pivoted, and brought her foot down squarely on his chest as he fell.

Behind her, Reyes howled with laughter. “She did it again, Jack! Stop sucking so much!” she roared.

“Just another bruise for the collection,” Morrison groaned as he lifted a hand.

Hanzo grasped it and pulled him to his feet, steadying him when he looked about to collapse. She shifted his weight across her shoulders, smiling up at the Commander as he gratefully accepted her help.

“We can call it a day if you want, Commander,” she said.

“Jack,” he insisted.

“Morrison-san,” she smiled.

He rolled his eyes but accepted that she wasn’t quite ready to use that familiar of a name with him. They were certainly getting closer; that much she was aware of. Ever since the disaster of a mission in Germany, Morrison had insisted that they train harder and Reyes had pulled her aside and asked if she could help teach them a different type of hand to hand fighting. She suspected that Genji had something to do with that suggestion, but she had agreed regardless.

She rarely ever grappled with Reyes. The woman seemed reluctant to let Hanzo touch her, opting instead to let Morrison practice the various techniques on her instead. It was funny to see Morrison TRY to knock Reyes to the mats; she was more solid than he was and didn’t budge no matter how hard he tried.

“Someone needs a strong drink,” Reyes smirked as she pulled Morrison’s other arm across her shoulders. “Getting old, Jack. Not even fifty yet and you’re going to have to retire.”

“Ha ha,” he snorted at her. “Not that old.”

“Uh huh,” Reyes smirked. She leaned in and kissed his cheek, nuzzling just under his ear until he let out a sharp squeal of laughter. “Whatever you have to say to feel better, _cariño_.”

Hanzo let the words wash over her. Part of her longed for something as easily affectionate as what the commanders had between them, trading sharp words that ended with sweet nicknames. A kiss here, a smile there, the warm body of someone she trusted to watch her back pressing in close; it was intoxicating to watch. The commanders could easily kill each other; she had seen that displayed on a number of occasions when she walked in on them training; but there was a deep-seeded love that stopped the fighting from getting too violent.

“Foreplay,” McCree called it. “Weird, violent foreplay.”

Reyes and Morrison continued growling at each other until they made it out to the courtyard. Reinhardt already had their table claimed, laughing as loud as possible as McCree and Genji arm-wrestled. Hanzo didn’t have to see them to know that Genji was winning and barely even trying. McCree’s mechanical arm could only do so much against the combination of circuits and muscle in Genji’s arm.

They set Morrison down on Genji’s right side, letting him slump against the table with a soft grunt. Reyes sat down opposite him, took one look at McCree, and proceeded to poke him in the side. McCree yelped and jumped, momentarily throwing him and Genji off-balance before his metal arm was pinned to the table.

“There was no other possible outcome,” Hanzo chuckled as she sat down between Genji and Tracer.

“Could have won if someone hadn’t interfered,” McCree grumbled as he readjusted his hat.

“Sure,” Reyes shook her head. “Whatever makes you feel better, _vaquerito_.”

Genji glanced at Morrison and gently patted his shoulder. “You look terrible, Morrison-san,” he said. “Did Hanzo beat you so badly?”

“She did,” he sighed loudly. “She is determined to make my skin colour match my uniform.”

“You insisted that I treat you as an equal, not a student,” Hanzo shrugged.

“And Hanzo has no problem beating your teeth in, apparently,” Tracer laughed. “Drink?”

“Beer?” Morrison asked as he lifted his head off the table.

“Beer,” Tracer handed a bottle over. “Good stuff too. All the way from Germany.”

“No finer beer exists,” Reinhardt thumped his chest proudly.

“Whiskey?” McCree asked, shooting Hanzo a look.

“A glass or two,” Hanzo mused as she eagerly reached for the shot glass that McCree was filling up. “Wouldn’t want to get too drunk.”

“Wouldn’t mind if you started singing,” McCree grinned. “Don’t think anyone on base would. Pretty voice like yours, it’d be a pity to let it go to waste.”

“ _Kutabare_ ,” she said sweetly before she downed the shot.

“I have no idea what that means,” McCree grinned as he mirrored her.

“‘Go to hell’ or ‘drop dead’, depending on the translation,” Genji snickered.

“Not even two shots in and she’s already done with your shit, Jesse,” Tracer laughed. “You have no luck, love.”

“Nah, she loves me,” McCree winked at her. “She’s just about as approachable a hungry bear.”

“Should be careful then or I might swallow you,” Hanzo smirked. The table went dead silent and she slowly covered her face in horror. “That was not how I meant that to come out at all.”

Genji was the first to break, flopping against the table to howl with laughter until his cylinders popped up to allow him to cool down. Hanzo turned a brilliant shade of red behind her hands as the rest of the table joined in with Genji’s laughter. She slowly scooted the shot glass towards McCree and he filled it up around his howls of laughter.

Drown the embarrassment in whiskey. That should help for the next hour or so.

* * *

 

“We could kiss,” McCree mused.

“Mmm, I think I’ll pass,” Hanzo yawned above him.

They were lying on the couch of one of the quieter lounge room. Or, rather, Hanzo had her legs pulled up next to her and McCree was resting on them. He had seen Genji lie like that a number of times and she had long since stopped pushing McCree onto the ground when he tried. Jack and Gabriel were fast asleep on one of the leather armchairs, foreheads resting against each other as they snored. Genji was sitting on the floor in front of the television, eagerly watching the movie they had all sat down to watch.

 _The Book of Life_ was Gabriel’s favourite movie. Whenever it was her turn to pick what to watch, it was understood that they were playing it regardless of how many times they had seen it in the past month. Usually, she was awake through the entire movie, hissing at anyone that dared to speak too loudly. With her fast asleep and Genji more focused on the movie, McCree was free to try to persuade Hanzo to kiss him.

It was going poorly, as poor usual.

“Come on, Hanzo; I’ve been good,” he huffed.

“A model cowboy,” she agreed.

Her fingers moved slowly through his hair and he shivered at the sensation. She was doing it on purpose, but he would be damned if he told her to stop. It felt so nice; nobody played with his hair. He didn’t exactly throw himself at people’s feet demanding it either, but that was beside the point. She was doing it on her own and that made it special.

“So, shouldn’t that deserve a kiss?” he asked.

“If I kissed you for good behaviour, I would have to give everyone a kiss for good behaviour,” she said. “I’m not setting that precedence.”

“You kiss me when I’m being good,” Genji pipped up.

“I also hit you when you’re being an ass,” Hanzo smirked. “I don’t think I’d have a hand left if I started doing that to Jesse.”

“Aw, come on!” McCree huffed and glared up at her. “That’s not nice.”

She smiled down at him, fluttered her beautiful lashes, and said something in Japanese. Judging by the way that Genji fell over laughing, it wasn’t very nice. Pouting, he reached up with his metal arm, determined to at least get her to kiss his fingers. She kept smiling at him as he managed to cup her face before she pushed her fingers deep into the meat of his bicep and squeezed.

“Ow!” he yelped and dropped his hand onto his chest, rubbing the abused flesh. “That was uncalled for.”

“Are you two finished over there?” Gabriel groaned. “Some of us are trying to sleep. We don’t all get to laze around the base during our time off; some of us still have to be commanders to your lazy asses.”

“Sorry, Reyes-san,” Hanzo apologized. “We will be quieter.”

Gabriel growled something about them needing to get a room before she tucked her head back into Jack’s neck and started snoring again. Jesse shot Hanzo a grin, but she just pulled his hat down over his face.

“Go to sleep, cowboy.”

* * *

 

Genji barely had time to finish flirting with one of the pretty new recruits before Hanzo was dragging him down the hallway by his scarf. He whined and writhed the whole way, trying to get her to stop pulling on his scarf because it was attached to the inside of the helmet which was attached to his skull and that HURT, HANZO!

She dragged him into her room and gave him a shove towards the bed. “Sit.”

“Are you going to tell me why you just tried to scalp me?” Genji pouted as he flopped onto the bed.

“We’re talking. Now,” she said as she sat down beside him. “You can’t dance around the subject anymore, Genji. You promised.”

Genji flinched and slowly sat up. “I did promise,” he murmured. “I just…don’t know where to even start.”

“The beginning would be best,” Hanzo folded her legs under her. Her eyes were sad and he could hear the tremble in her voice. “The day I was told to remove you or suffer the consequences for sheltering a failure.”

Genji swallowed hard and rubbed at his head. “You didn’t try to kill me,” he murmured. “You…you tried to persuade me to smarten up.”

“I was telling you to hide your nature to make my life easier,” Hanzo snorted. “I was telling a twenty-year-old to pull his head out of his ass and start acting like an adult.”

“You were telling me to stop living recklessly,” he argued.

He still remembered that conversation. It haunted his nightmares, not only because of the outcome but because he remembered so many little details that he had ignored at the time. The tremor in Hanzo’s body, the odd angle she had her sword sitting at her hip, the way her eyes kept begging him to shut up even as her mouth snarled insults; all of it came back with stark clarity in his dreams. He remembered the sound of the festival in full swing not far from the castle gates, the scent of sweets in the air, and the faint tingle of an approaching storm. He remembered Hanzo standing in front of him, her mind firm and unyielding even as she shook with fear.

“You were twenty,” she repeated. “I should have defended you. I should have argued.”

“With Father?” Genji let out a hollow laugh. “He would have had you restrained and my throat cut in front of you. Then, when he was certain I was dead, he would have beaten your skull in with his own fists.”

“At least your death wouldn’t have been on my hands!” Hanzo snapped.

“Bullshit it wouldn’t have been,” Genji snapped in return. “You would have spent those last few minutes of your life blaming yourself regardless. You were stuck between a rock and a shitpile, but at least the shitpile had the smallest chance of letting you pass.”

“Yes, and how well did that turn out, Genji?” she demanded. “I tore you to pieces.”

“You went there to try to reason with me,” Genji shook his head.

“And left you to die.”

“I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again; Angela and her team would have _killed you_ if you had stayed,” Genji said slowly so that his sister didn’t miss a word. “Your death wouldn’t have brought me any peace. I probably would have perished on the operating table knowing that my sister was cut down over a mistake.”

“A mistake?!” Hanzo shrieked. “I channelled a dragon’s power into my body, Genji! I tore you to pieces in the sacred temple!”

“But you didn’t mean to; I know that,” Genji threw his arms out in frustration. “I was awake when you were holding me, Hanzo! I heard every sob that left you. I heard you say again and again that ‘this wasn’t what I wanted’ and ‘this wasn’t supposed to happen’. You wanted to scare me, not kill me.”

“Oh, what a wonderful sister I am; channelling the fury of a celestial creature to scare my brother into submission,” Hanzo snapped.

She was in tears. He had to marvel at her; she could probably barely see around her tears and she still managed to root him in place with a single look. Her face was splotched and red, but she still looked regal, like the ugliness of tears only served to sharpen her will to not only dominate but to make you rue the day she ever shed a single tear for you.

“Hanzo, why won’t you accept my forgiveness?” Genji asked gently.

Hanzo looked down at her lap and gently touched the dragon head curled around her wrist. “Because I reached out for Kita’s strength and took Minami’s hand instead,” she whispered. “I looked for the strength of a mother, someone that would know to sheath their claws and blunt their teeth, but instead allowed the fury of a protector to control me. I meant to chastise you, but instead I attacked you like you were a stranger. I carved you open and I _relished_ it.”

Genji let out a soft noise of shock, staring as Hanzo broke down in front of him. He reached out and took his sister’s hands, squeezing them tightly between his own. He waited until she looked at him before he moved forward and hugged her to his chest. He had always been shorter than her and had always tucked his head into her chest when she hugged him. It was the way of things; his big sister would protect him from a world that was determined to crush him. Now, he was sheltering her, letting her hide from the world that demanded everything of her and would accept no mistakes.

“It was an accident,” he whispered into her ear. “Dragons make mistakes too, _oneesan_.” He ran his hand slowly through her hair, accepting her sobs without criticism.

She clung to him like a stone in a river, fighting through her raking sobs as her shame was fully laid bare at his feet. Just like before, when he was lying in his blood while she cried over him, apologizing over and over again for what she had done, he forgave her. He understood. He knew in his heart what monsters haunted his sister. She never needed him to tear her apart; she always did that enough to herself.

“I forgive you,” he murmured. “I will always forgive you.”

“Knowing what you do now, you’d still forgive me?” she whispered.

“Always, _oneesan_ ,” he nuzzled her hair.

“I ruined your life! I took away every opportunity you could ever have!” she sobbed.

“And I have new ones unfurling before me every day,” he laughed. “How many people can honestly say that they can spiral jump ten feet in the air without worrying about hurting themselves? Or outrun a cheetah?”

“You can’t have sex anymore,” Hanzo deadpanned.

“That’s probably for the best,” Genji coughed. “I was probably stuffed full of more STIs than was healthy.”

“Condoms,” she groaned. “Seriously, Genji, did you NOT pay attention in sex ed class?”

Genji rubbed his head. “Uh, I vaguely remember something about morning wood and that’s about it.”

“You’re so hopeless,” she shook her head and rubbed at her eyes.

“What happened afterwards?” he asked.

It had always bothered him that he didn’t know what happened after Hanzo left. He couldn’t get the answers he needed from anyone else; they had to come from Hanzo. Those four years; now five; of not seeing her and being able to ask had bothered him. He wanted to know what happened to his sister and what drove the final spike between her and the clan and turned her into a rogue assassin dodging anyone sent to eliminate her.

“After I ran?” she sighed.

“Yah,” Genji nodded.

“I…went and reported to Father,” Hanzo flicked her hair behind her ear. “I was covered in your blood…and your flesh was between my teeth and under my nails. He…he congratulated me on eliminating you, said that it would make my life much easier without a failure like you clinging to me leg.” She closed her eyes and clenched her fists. “He started laughing and he poured himself a glass of that disgusting red wine and he drank to your death. I…I lost it. Something inside of me couldn’t take it any longer and I just…. I killed him. Right there beside his desk when he had that glass to his lips.”

Genji’s eyes widened. “They said he died of a heart attack,” he whispered. “That Mother found him dead in his study.”

“A pretty lie to hide their shame,” Hanzo curled her lip. “They burned his body to hide the evidence too. Wouldn’t want to show the world how his precious little daughter cut him to ribbons with a sword she was not skilled in using.”

Genji stared at her. “You killed him…because he was mocking my death?” he asked softly.

“Yes,” she nodded. “I couldn’t take it anymore. The insults, the sneering, all of it; I wanted to make him suffer for what he did to us. For what he did to me.” She pushed her hair out of her face again and rubbed furiously at her eyes. “I cut him open, first across the stomach, then the chest, and only when he was looking me in the eye did I cut his throat. Mother walked in as he was choking on his blood. She screamed so loudly that I dropped my sword.”

“And you ran,” Genji nodded his head.

He could see the image in his mind’s eye. Hanzo, covered in the blood of her kin, standing over their father’s crumpled corpse. She would have been terrifying to see, dressed in a festival kimono with dancing koi fish, bathed in crimson, and eyes filled with tears and fury. Their soft mother would not have been able to handle such a sight.

“I fled,” she agreed. “I didn’t want any of Father’s men catching me. I went back a few days later when everyone was busy with Father’s burial. I grabbed a few of my belongings, clothing, and left for good.”

“So you avenged me,” Genji nodded his head.

“No, someone would have had to kill me to avenge you,” Hanzo rolled her eyes.

“You didn’t kill me,” he huffed.

“Evidently, or I’m the worst assassin to ever live,” Hanzo smiled before she snuggled against him. “This helped, Genji. Thank you.”

“Will you stop acting like you want to die?” he asked as he hugged her close.

“I…will try.”

It was the most he could ask of her. He accepted the answer, running his fingers slowly through her hair. All he asked was that she tried to live again. That was all the forgiveness he could ever ask of her.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? More fluff and angst and backstory? Why yes, yes it is.
> 
> I think my favourite thing about writing Hanzo for this story is when she screws up her words and says something sexual without meaning to. It's so not something people expect from her and she just goes "oh no, I fucked up" right before everyone starts laughing


	18. Chapter 17

“So, what does _otouto_ mean?” Morrison asked one night as they were sitting alone watching the sky.

Everyone else had turned in early, leaving Morrison and Hanzo alone. She suspected that there were ulterior motives behind the sudden departures, but she didn’t have enough evidence to prove it. Regardless, it was nice just to sit and talk with her Commander.

The cool night air had prompted Morrison to bring his leather jacket out with him, but he had draped it across her shoulders the instant he noticed that she had started to shiver. He claimed that he was fine, but she could see the small tremor run through him every now and again. He refused to take back his jacket no matter how many times she tried to shrug it off.

Stubborn Commander Morrison was going to play gentleman even if it killed him.

“Little brother,” Hanzo replied. She had her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail at the top of her head so that the wind didn’t throw it around. She found it much more comfortable than she thought it would be. “Why?”

“Just wondering,” Morrison shrugged as he sipped his hot chocolate. “I hear you calling Genji it a lot and wanted to know what you were saying.”

“Worried I was insulting him?” she teased.

“I was hoping you weren’t,” he chuckled. His eyes got a wistful look to them as he looked skyward. “Never had siblings; Ma had a hard enough time giving birth to me so they never tried again.”

“It must have been lonely,” Hanzo glanced at him. “I don’t know what I would have done without Genji growing up.”

“Always wondered what it was like to have siblings,” he mused. “Everyone else makes it sound like a massive pain in the ass, but worth it.”

“It is,” Hanzo murmured. She looked down into her lap and blinked through tears. “Genji and I were very close growing up. Life was not easy for either of us; I was a female heir and Genji was…well, as flighty and untameable as a sparrow. We supported each other when no one else would and guarded each other’s back.” She let out a fond laugh. “His friends used to tease him about needing his _oneesan_ to come fight his battles for him. Then I gave our cousin, Itsuki, a bloody nose and they never brought it up again.”

“ _Oniisan_? I thought that meant big brother,” Morrison blinked.

“ _Oneesan_ ,” she repeated slowly. “It means big sister.”

“Ah, sorry,” he rubbed his head. “What’s the word for little sister?”

“ _Imouto_ ,” she said, pronouncing each syllable carefully.

“ _Imouto_ ,” he repeated. His massive hand settled on Hanzo’s shoulder and he dragged her close for a hug. “ _Imouto_.”

Hanzo’s eyes widened before she settled comfortably against Morrison’s chest. “Huh, that was rather smooth,” she clicked her tongue. “Is this how you convinced Reyes to let you court her?”

“No, no I did that by not bitching when she kicked my ass,” Morrison chuckled. “And, you know, being a boy scout even when she was at her worst.”

“A match made in heaven,” Hanzo shook her head. She tucked her head comfortably under his chin and sighed. “Thank you, _oniichan._ ”

When Genji found out that Jack had adopted them as younger siblings, he tackled the commander around the waist with a shriek of “ _oniichan_ ”. Gabriel winded herself laughing and Hanzo did her best not to kick her younger brother for being an idiot. She didn’t think Jack’s smile could get any bigger as he patted Genji’s head so she let it slide.

* * *

 

McCree glanced at Hanzo as he tapped the ashes off the end of his cigarillo. She was wearing the blue blouse with the ruffled neck and buttons down the front that she had bought in London. She had the bottom tucked into her black pants and her blue obi tied around her hips. He took a drag of his cigarillo and blew out a cloud of smoke.

“You know, women don’t usually tuck their shirts into their pants,” he said.

“You don’t say,” Hanzo yawned. If she could have sounded less interested, he would be surprised.

“Well, not unless they got something to hide,” he shrugged. “You got a tramp stamp you ain’t proud of?”

“A what?” Hanzo turned to blink at him.

He mapped the crease of her skin as her eyebrows knitted together, drank in the flicker of confusion in her dark eyes, and watched the small partition between her lips. Lord, save his soul; she was gorgeous and he was so far gone he couldn’t see where the surface was anymore.

“A tramp stamp,” he repeated. He pointed towards his back. “Lower back tattoo.”

“Oh,” she frowned before shrugging. “It’s not anyone’s business what is inked into my skin.”

“Wait,” McCree snapped his head around. “You have a tramp stamp!?”

“Is that what I said?” she asked.

“Let me see it!”

“What? Why?”

“Hanzo, you have two seconds to show me willingly before I yank that shirt over your head and look for myself,” he grinned.

Hanzo bristled like a cornered cat. “You wouldn’t dare,” she growled.

McCree snuffed out the remains of his cigarillo on the picnic table and lunged forward. He caught Hanzo around the waist, but she rolled, pulling him down with her. He yelped as he felt her feet press into his stomach and shoved him hard over her head. He went sailing as she rolled easily back to her feet and crouched waiting for him to move.

“Ow,” he groaned. “That was unnecessary.”

“So was your request,” Hanzo growled.

“I just wanted to see,” he rolled to his knees.

“It is not a single tattoo, McCree,” she growled as she straightened up. She glared down at him and McCree felt heat pooling between his legs. She had the sexiest glower he had ever seen and he would be damned if it didn’t make him want her more. “It is one that spreads across most of my torso. It simply crosses my lower back.”

McCree stared at her and slowly lifted his hands. “My bad, Hanzo,” he said. “Sorry.”

She relaxed her stance and walked over to him, holding a hand out to help him to his feet. “Idiot.”

He grinned, grabbed her hand, and yanked her down towards him. Her knees hit the ground on either side of his left leg and she caught herself on his shoulder. His mouth brushed against her cheek, completely missing his target, before she surged to her feet.

“You are such a _boy_ , Jesse McCree!” she snarled before she spun and stormed off.

McCree pouted as Genji dropped down to sit besde him. “You really suck at this, Jesse,” he teased.

“Any suggestions?”

“Don’t try that one again,” Genji snickered.

“Yer not helping,” he huffed.

Genji turned his head towards him and brightened his visor. “Never said I was, Jesse. Never said I was.”

* * *

 

“Okay, new drinking game!” Louis laughed. “Hanzo puts her phone on shuffle and we take a shot for every Country song that plays. And we have to sing the chorus.”

“Why my phone?” Hanzo asked as McCree filled her glass with whiskey.

“I have, like, one Country song on mine; Reinhardt’s is full of really weird songs,” Reinhardt snorted at that comment, “we’d DIE if Jesse played his; Gabriel’s is all in Spanish so we won’t know if it’s Country or not unless she tells us and she’s EVIL; and Jack has no music on his phone.”

“No room,” Jack shrugged as he ran his finger around the rim of his shotglass.

Gabriel shot him an amused smirk and waggled her eyebrows. He looked away quickly, not wanting to give her a chance to say what his phone was filled with. It wasn’t his fault that Gabriel liked to send him nudes when he was in meetings! And how could he delete such beautiful pictures of her?

“That leaves Genji’s phone,” Hanzo pointed out.

“It’s all in Japanese,” Louis whined. “Trust me, I’ve checked.”

“And how do you know I have Country songs on my phone?” Hanzo narrowed her eyes.

“Genji’s stolen it for me,” Louis grinned.

Hanzo snapped her head around to glare at Genji. “You little shit.”

“Hey, I made sure she didn’t snoop!” Genji yelped. “Phone stayed in my hand the whole time!”

Hanzo’s eyes narrowed before she pulled her phone out of her back pocket and started flicking through screens. Jack wrapped an arm around Genji and pulled him close, rubbing his hand across the top of his little brother’s head as if he were ruffling Genji’s hair. Genji squawked and wiggled, demanding to be let go, but he wasn’t strong enough to break Jack’s hold on him.

“Okay,” Hanzo grumbled. “And shuffle.”

She set the phone on the table and a Country song immediately started playing.

“Of course the first one you play would be Country, you traitor,” Hanzo grumbled as they all took a shot.

“I don’t know this one,” Genji cocked his head to the side.

The song played through the first verse and Jack shot McCree a smirk as he practically bounced in his seat with excitement. The chorus started playing and everyone took a deep breath.

_“Cause I saddle up my horse and I ride into the city._

_I make a lot of noise cuz the girls they are so pretty._

_Ridin’ up and down Broadway on my old stud, Leroy, and the girls say ‘Save a horse, ride a cowboy’! Everybody says ‘Save a horse, ride a cowboy’!”_

Everyone burst out laughing after they sang the chorus. Genji had gone very still and Jack could see the cogs turning in his head as McCree quickly refilled everyone’s shotglass with whiskey. Louis elbowed Hanzo in the side, grinning up at her, but Hanzo pointedly ignored him as her cheeks turned faintly pink.

They barely had time to catch their breath before they were singing the chorus again. Jack did his best not to cackle as Hanzo lifted a hand into the air and swung it around as if she were trying to keep her balance on a mechanical bull. Gabriel howled with laughter, thumping her fist on the table as McCree grinned widely.

They burst out laughing again regardless, bracing themselves on the table to keep from falling over. Louis was snorting as he laughed, holding his belly as Hanzo pushed her hair out of her face. They had a long break between the choruses to catch their breath before they belted out the last few lines.

“I can’t believe you have that song!” McCree laughed.

“I’ve had it for years; we used to play it at parties in the dorms so the Americans didn’t feel so homesick,” Hanzo laughed. “They used to get up on the tables and dance until they fell off. It was great!”

A soft string of violin music started playing and Hanzo lifted a fist into the air. “Ha! Not Country.”

“Aw,” McCree pouted.

“This Classical?” Louis frowned.

“Um,” Hanzo reached out and tipped her phone towards her. “Concerto Grosso No. 1 in D Major, Op. 6 by Corelli. Didn’t even know that was on there.”

“How many songs do you have?”

“A lot,” Hanzo shrugged a shoulder as she took a sip from her water gourd.

“So, can we skip this one?” Louis asked.

Hanzo tapped on the screen and an upbeat pop song started playing. Louis bobbed along to the beat, grinning as Gabriel rested her chin in her hands. Jack felt her foot loop slowly over his before her heel slid insistently up his calf. The toe of her boot pressed gently against his groin and moved in slow circles until he almost choked on the water he was sipping.

“Gabe!” he squeaked.

“What?” she asked innocently, fluttering her lashes at him.

“Foot down,” he growled.

“Geeze, one shot in and she’s already frisky,” McCree teased.

“I can still punt you across the courtyard, pup,” Gabriel warned, never taking her eyes off of Jack.

Her slow circles became rougher, pressing down into the meat of his pelvis. He bit back his whimper of pleasure, slumping forward against the table and pressing his face into his hand. He let out a stuttered curse as his pants tightened and Gabriel’s foot moved slowly over the noticeable bulge. And then her foot was gone, leaving him with a burning ache between his legs that was almost impossible to hide.

He was almost grateful when a Country song started playing and he could toss back his glass of whiskey. He didn’t know the song, but McCree and Hanzo happily sang out the chorus.

_“And justice is the one thing you should always find._

_You gotta saddle up your boys, you gotta draw a hard line._

_When the gun smoke settles we’ll sing a victory tune and we’ll all meet back at the local saloon._

_We’ll raise up our glasses against evil forces singing ‘whiskey for my men, beer for my horses’!”_

“How do you know all these songs?” Louis demanded as Hanzo and McCree laughed.

“Friend in University absolutely loved Country music,” Hanzo shrugged. “Sort of developed a love for it after that.”

“Thought you sang duets with your brother,” Gabriel tilted her head to the side.

“I did; that doesn’t mean I liked the genre.”

McCree let out a gasp and clapped a hand over his heart. “ _Et tu, Brute_?” he demanded.

“What?” Hanzo frowned.

“He’s calling you a traitor,” Gabriel rolled her eyes. “Comparing you to the man that stabbed the Roman Emperor, Julius Caesar, in the back.”

“Oh,” Hanzo blinked. “Jackass.”

McCree grinned and tipped his hat as a pop song started playing. The next two songs were slow rock ballads and Hanzo made a comment about her phone being nice to her for once. It then proceeded to play three Country songs back to back.

“You traitorous whore!” Hanzo shouted as the third song started playing.

McCree fell backwards off of his seat, howling with laughter as Jack spat his whiskey onto the table in surprise. Louis slumped against the table laughing. Reinhardt was trying not to choke on his spit as he laughed. Gabriel had tumbled out of her seat to lie next to McCree and laugh. Genji just shook his head in amusement.  

Drunk Hanzo had the strangest sense of humor and Jack loved her for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs used:  
> "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" by Big n Rich  
> "Beer for My Horses" by Toby Keith and Willy Nelson
> 
> Don't worry, we'll get back into the action soon. Just had to better establish some relationships so it didn't feel rushed. Because Big Bro Jack is best Jack.


	19. Chapter 18

“Boots on the ground; move out!” Jack ordered.

Hanzo and Genji leaped out of the back of the jeep they had been travelling in and headed for the alley. They scrambled over overturned carts and boxes, other soldiers with similar training following in their wake. Genji leaped up and over a wall and Hanzo climbed nimbly behind him, fingers finding natural grooves in the cobbled bricks to hold onto.

She raced along the wall, one eye on Genji as he led the main attack into the circle of Talon terrorists. She fired two Scatter Arrows, clearing a path for the other agents to follow in his wake. McCree, Gabriel, and Amelie slipped past her with a small retinue of Blackwatch agents at their heels. Hanzo stuck an arrow into the neck of a man that tried to lunge at McCree, dropping him before he could get the knife into McCree’s face.

McCree glanced at her and tipped his hat before hurrying after Gabriel. They had their own mission to attend to. There was no time to talk.

Time passed too quickly. The terrorists scattered, fleeing for their holes while Jack led the main push into the compound. Genji hung back, sword flashing as he glanced around. Hanzo touched her earpiece as Jack called her name.

“Take a sweep around the area; I want to make sure we haven’t missed anything,” Jack ordered. “We’ll secure the objective and meet you back at the extraction point.”

“Understood,” Hanzo said. “Genji, with me.”

“Right behind you.”

They skirted around the exterior of the marketplace, keeping themselves low to the ground. Hanzo nocked an arrow and made a quick hand signal to Genji. He slowed his step, balancing on the tips of his feet as they crept around the corner. Hanzo loosed the arrow and it sank fletching deep into the neck of a Talon agent.

The man fell to the ground and the rest of the agents spun around, rifles rising. Hanzo and Genji charged, Genji greatly outpacing her and turning into a green blur. Something beeped near her right ear and Hanzo twisted to see what it was. The explosion knocked her off her feet and sent her rolling. Genji flipped end over end, coming to a dead stop a few feet from her.

Hanzo groaned and tried to stand, but her legs were numb from the kneecap down. She reached down, grasping at her braces beneath her boots and trying to get them moving. She hadn’t lost the limbs; why weren’t they moving? Nearby, Genji let out a stuttering gasp.

“Hanzo…Hanzo I can’t move!” he choked out.

“Hang on,” she growled as she dropped herself onto her belly and started dragging herself forward. “Hang on, I’m coming.”

A foot connected firmly with her stomach and flipped her onto her back. She cried out in pain, blinking stars from her vision as a black-masked face loomed overhead. She reached up and pushed her earpiece, managing to bite out a request for backup before the Talon agent kicked her in the side, turning her words into a scream.

The man wound up for another kick, but Hanzo moved faster. She grabbed him by the ankle and twisted until she felt the bone break beneath her fingers. The man screamed as he fell, dropping his gun, and reaching for his destroyed ankle. She grabbed the discarded gun, shuffled forward, and smashed his face in with the butt of his own gun. She twisted around, reaching for her bow as another agent knocked her over. She could just see Genji struggling against two agents, flailing and kicking as they pinned him down with stakes through his shoulders.

“Genji!” she screamed before an omnic pinned her.

She scrambled, stretching for her bow as she watched a sickening red glow build at the end of the omnic’s rifle. Her breath came out in a short gasp as her fingers rasped over the fiberglass grip of Storm Bow.

She heard a voice say the dumbest thing she could have heard on the battlefield.

“It’s High Noon.”

She didn’t think Jesse McCree had ever sounded so beautiful.

* * *

 

McCree fanned the six bullets from Peacekeeper straight through the Talon agents pinning Hanzo and Genji down. His head swam for a moment as the euphoria and clarity that came with Deadeye drained out of him. Hanzo kicked the omnic off of her and grabbed her bow.

“Dive right!” she shouted as she twisted around.

McCree snapped in the direction that Hanzo instructed. The arrow whizzed past McCree’s cheek, close enough that the fletching cut the skin. Blood pattered down onto his shoulder and he touched the wound in surprise. Behind him, he heard a gurgled scream and turned to watch a Talon agent die with the arrow embedded in his throat.

“Genji!” Hanzo screamed, drawing his foggy attention back to the source of the distress call.

Hanzo was dragging herself across the sand towards Genji’s prone form. He frowned in confusion and followed, working to keep himself upright as his legs threatened to turn to jelly under him. Hanzo managed to reach Genji first and wrenched the stakes out of his shoulders.

She cradled his head between her hands, whispering rapidly in Japanese until Genji’s visor brightened.

“I’m okay,” he murmured. “Just very, very tired. And sore. And I really wish I could have a drink of sake right about now.”

“How about water?” Hanzo laughed breathlessly as she pulled the blue gourd off of her hip.

“Water sounds fantastic,” Genji groaned. “Um, could you unfasten the mask for me? I can barely move my arms.”

Hanzo set the gourd down and gently released the latches for Genji’s facemask. She set it down gently beside her and shifted to lift her brother’s head onto her lap. She cradled his head in one arm while gently tipping the gourd to his lips. He drank greedily, closing his eyes as he swallowed.

“Thank you,” he said as he turned his sweet brown eyes on McCree. “Hey, look who came to our rescue, _oneesan_. Your timing couldn’t be better, Jesse.”

“Good to see I got to you in time,” McCree smiled. “Was worried when I heard Hanzo scream. Don’t think I’ve ever run so fast in my life. Can you stand?”

“Not on my own,” Genji shook his head as Hanzo reattached his mask. “I should be able to shuffle forward if you can get me on my feet.”

“Right,” he nodded. “Hanzo, lend a hand?”

Hanzo lifted an eyebrow and waved a hand towards her legs. He just noticed that they were hanging limply under her, like everything from the knees down had forgotten how to work. “I’m afraid I won’t be of much use to you, cowboy.”

“Oh,” he frowned.

He shuffled forward and grasped Genji under the armpits. It took a bit of effort, but he eventually got Genji standing on his feet. As he had promised, he was able to shuffle forward slowly, but he looked absolutely pathetic doing so. His arms hung limply at his side, swaying slowly with each agonizing step he took. McCree grimaced before he looked down at Hanzo.

He offered a hand and she gave him a flat look. “I can’t stand, Jesse,” she growled.

“Genji could,” McCree frowned. “Why can’t you?”

“There was an explosion; I think it was meant to interfere with nerve readings from prosthetics,” she rolled her eyes. “Genji is a mesh of metal, circuitry, and flesh. These,” she rapped a knuckle against her boots, “make it possible for me to walk by holding my mangled legs together. There’s basic nerve receptors to keep the muscles working so if those have been shorted out, I can’t walk.”

“Oh,” McCree blinked. “Oh! Um, hang on.” He crouched down and shifted, offering his back. “Not the most dignified way to travel, I know, but it’s the best I’ve got.”

“Better than dragging myself across the sand to where the medics are,” she sighed.

She clambered up onto his back and he hooked his arms gently under her knees. He felt the press of her chest against his shoulders as she locked her arms around his neck. Her hips were against the small of his back, pressing in just enough to grip him without digging in. He had always marvelled at her strength, but he had never realized until she was pressing against his back when he was coherent how much solid muscle she was. He gave her a small boost to make sure he had a good grip on her and started off after Genji.

Gabriel was waiting with Vert when they arrived. Genji was able to lift himself into the transport unit with some difficulty, needing someone to brace against his hips so he could pull himself forward. Hanzo was not so lucky and had to be lifted in by Gabriel and McCree. McCree tried to climb in after them, but Vert gave him a shove and told him to travel with the others.

He didn’t argue as Vert scrambled into the transport unit. He spotted Hanzo wincing as Vert worked on her legs and had to force himself to follow Gabriel back to the shuttle where Jack was waiting. His chest was in knots the whole way back to the Watchpoint.

It was hours before he was allowed in to see Hanzo. Genji was sitting beside her when he pushed the curtain aside, her hand held gently between his. His visor brightened at the sight of McCree and he politely excused himself. McCree watched the younger Shimada leave before he sat down beside Hanzo.

“Hey,” he smiled.

“Hello,” Hanzo returned the smile briefly before it fell. “Suppose you want to see the extent of the damage?” she asked.

“Damage?” he asked. “Didn’t think you’d been hurt that badly.”

“Dr. Ziegler is still fixing my braces. It could be a few more hours before all of the damage can be repaired,” she sighed. “In the meantime,” she pulled the cover off of her legs and McCree stared, “I’m stuck looking at this every time I even think about moving.”

Below the knee, Hanzo’s legs and ankles were terribly misshaped. They were still straight, but they were unnaturally flat, like something had come along and steamrolled over them. Holes were drilled through her flesh, strangely healed so that muscle and blood weren’t spilling out; they must have been where the braces gripped her flesh. He reached out and gently ran the metal of his own prosthetic hand over her right leg.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Caught between some logs when I was about ten,” she sighed. “Almost drowned before they were able to get me free. Doctors said I would never be able to walk again, but Father had amazing contacts.” She sniffed bitterly. “Paid for the braces to let me walk because seeing his heir in a wheelchair was more abhorrent to him than anything else.”

“Why didn’t he amputate the legs?” he asked as he ran his thumb over the scars that covered her legs. He had seen bone burst through flesh when a limb broke; her legs were covered in the exact same type of puncture scars.

“Doctors didn’t want to; the muscles and nerves recovered even if the bones never did,” she sighed. “I…I’m fine like this, really. I just…it’s hard to look at them sometimes. To know that the only reason I’m able to walk is because of some metal hooked into my flesh and nervous system.”

“Tell me about it,” he smirked as he folded the fingers of his metal hand into a little gun and “fired” at her.

“Sorry,” she murmured. “That was….”

“Don’t worry about it, Hanzo,” McCree brushed her apology aside. “We all deal with our injuries differently. I get it.”

Hanzo smiled before she sat up. She pulled her legs towards her and carefully let her feet hang over the side of the bed.

“Come here,” she said softly, patting the bed beside her.

McCree sat down beside her and was thrilled when she laced their fingers together. “What’s on your mind, Hanzo?”

“I wanted to thank you for saving me today,” she started to say.

“It was nothing,” he shook his head.

“Let me finish,” she shot him a glare. “You didn’t just save me, Jesse McCree, you saved Genji too. I called for backup and you dropped everything to come help us. It means more to me that you did that than I can express in words. And I think you’ve been punished long enough.”

McCree barely had time to think before she was straddling his lap and kissing him. The first kiss had tasted of blood and bile; this kiss was much sweeter. She put her whole being behind the kiss, moving her mouth slowly enough to entice him to join in while her hands ran slowly up into his hair. He pulled her close, loving the soft gasp she gave as her spine curved into him. He slipped his metal hand under her _kyudo-gi_ and felt her shiver against him.

“Fuck,” he whispered as they parted for a moment. “Fuck.”

Hanzo’s eyes never left his face as she lifted herself a little higher on him. Her presence seemed to sharpen around him, pulling him into the powerful woman coiled against his chest. Her eyes dominated him, the usually cool stare replaced by something hot and oozing with desire. Her lips parted over her teeth, showing the four gleaming fangs that had sent shivers through him every time she had shown them.

“That a better take, cowboy?” she purred as she ran her fingers through his hair.

“Yah,” he breathed. “Any…anyone ever tell you that yer beautiful?”

“Mostly men that want to get me in their beds,” she smirked. “Haven’t we had this conversation before too? Right before you made two dumb guesses and then tripped and landed on the answer?”

“Hhe,” he snorted as he let his metal hand trail down her back. “Actually, I said your eyes were pretty.”

“Ah ah,” she scolded and slapped his chest. She reached back and pulled his metallic arm out of her _kyudo-gi_. “No wandering hands, cowboy. You haven’t even bothered to buy me supper.”

McCree grinned at her and leaned forward, pressing her back into his chest. “Oh? Is that so, Hanzo? Well, I can think of something you could eat….”

“And now you’re an ass; well done,” Hanzo rolled her eyes before she pulled his hat down over his face. “Why do I like you again?”

“Because I’m just so charming,” McCree grinned as he felt Hanzo roll off of his lap. He pushed his hat back up onto his head and frowned. “You okay?”

“Fine,” she waved a hand at him as she rubbed her legs. “Just a little numb, that’s all.”

“Ya know, there’s gonna to be a celebration later,” he said. “First successful mission in about a year.”

“Are you inviting me as a date, Jesse McCree?” she asked.

“I am, Hanzo Shimada,” he grinned.

“Consider the invitation accepted, cowboy,” she smirked, resting her weight on her hands. “Try to clean up a little so you don’t smell like smoke.” She winked, easing the bite a little.

McCree grinned. Angela chose that moment to walk around the privacy screen and shoo him out of the medical bay. He shot Hanzo a glance over his shoulder and tipped his hat. The sultry smirk she shot back almost made him trip over his own feet.

* * *

 

“Tights!”

“Genji, I can’t wear socks; why the hell would I try the nightmare of putting _tights_ on?”

Genji’s visor dimmed in a pout as he watched his sister pull her dress over her head. It looked amazing on her, hugging her hips and actually making it look like she had a chest. The cut in the hem ran to her mid-thigh, letting her move her legs without too much restraint.

“They’d look pretty,” he huffed.

“You aren’t making a good case,” Hanzo shook her head. “Earrings?”

“Do you plan on having sex?” Genji asked.

“Yes?”

“No earrings.”

Hanzo rolled her eyes before she sat down to do her make-up. “Do you think I’m acting stupid?” she asked as she worked.

“No?” Genji frowned as he sat down on her bed. “It’s your first date; why wouldn’t you want to look your best?”

“Because I’m getting dolled up to go to a dance with a bunch of people that just killed Talon agents,” Hanzo rubbed her nose. “I feel more than a little bit stupid.”

“Stop overthinking!” Genji scolded. He bounced forward and slapped her bare left shoulder. “You are making yourself look the best so that Jesse McCree is rendered speechless!”

“That’s damn near impossible, Genji,” Hanzo smirked as she applied black eyeliner. “He’s almost as bad as you.”

Genji pouted again and stuck his tongue out at her. She couldn’t see it, of course, but she knew his movements. The amused look that she shot him in the mirror was worth the momentary childishness.

Scooting forward, he grabbed a brush off of the cabinet and started brushing her hair into a tight ponytail. At the last moment, he pulled one lock of hair loose and let it hang down in front of her face on her right side. She shot him a look before flicking the lock behind her ear and finishing up her makeup. Genji hummed as he held the ponytail firmly in one hand and carefully tied the golden scarf around it with the other.

“There,” he chirped as he stepped back.

Hanzo let out a soft hum before she rolled red lipstick onto her lips. “Looks good,” she inhaled before she got to her feet. She turned around, placing her right hand on her waist. “Looks good?”

Genji flashed both thumbs up. “You look amazing,” he chirped.

“Coming from you, that’s worrisome,” she teased. “Okay, so he should be here any minute. Dragon’s might, is my stomach supposed to feel like its twisting?”

“That’s called ‘nerves’, _oneesan_ ,” Genji grinned. “You that anxious?”

“Yes?” Hanzo gave him a look that looked out of place on her face. She chewed the inside of her lip and went stiff as a knock rapped on the door. “Aaaaaand I can’t feel my legs.”

Genji rolled his eyes as he bounced past his sister and cracked the door open. He tried not to look disappointed at Louis standing on the other side of the door.

“Hello, Louis,” he greeted.

“Hanzo in there?” Louis asked. “Wanted to know if she’s coming to the party.”

“She is,” Genji nodded before he leaned in close. “She’s waiting for McCree.”

Louis’ eyes went wide and he did a funny tapdance of delight. “Oh my gawd, seriously?!” he hissed. “That’s fantastic. Operation: Save a Horse has finally come to fruition! Can I see her?”

“She’s having a bit of a panic attack,” Genji shook his head. “You’ll see her when she arrives.”

“You’re so cruel,” Louis whined before he tossed his head. “Fine. Want me to sound the fanfares?”

“She might just bolt if you do,” Genji teased. “Let her glide in unannounced and wait for the chaos to explode around them.”

Louis flashed a thumbs up before zipping off down the hallway, leaving a trail of blue in his wake. Genji shook his head in amusement and glanced over his shoulder.

“Stop worrying your lip or you aren’t going to have any lipstick left!” he scolded.

“Maybe he changed his mind?” Hanzo fretted as she hurried over to the mirror to check on the state of her lipstick. “Maybe I should just stay here and sneak into the kitchens later for ice cream or something.”

Genji dropped his head into his hand, groaning loudly as his sister overthought everything. “Hanzo, deep breaths,” he ordered. “You are overthinking-.”

He fell silent as someone knocked on the door. Hanzo turned towards him and made a desperate motion with her hands. Genji waved her off, promising to man the door, again, while she tried to get herself calmed down. Opening the door a bit, Genji beamed up at McCree.

“Hello, Jesse,” he greeted. Hanzo let out a high-pitched strained noise behind him. “She’s almost ready.”

Jesse pushed his hat up on his head, grinning widely. He was wearing a clean flannel shirt; maybe the one Hanzo had bought him in London since it looked really clean; tucked into a pair of good-fitting jeans. His favourite BAMF belt hugged his hips, but none of the usual bullets accompanied it. His boots looked freshly polished, matching the fact that he had actually cleaned up his face a little. He didn’t look nearly as scruffy with his little soulpatch on the tip of his chin properly trimmed and the growing sideburns shaved off.

“Didn’t figure her as being someone that took forever to get ready,” he laughed.

“I HEARD THAT!” Hanzo snarled.

“Temper, _oneesan_ ,” Genji glanced over his shoulder.

Hanzo grumbled something unintelligible under her breath as she walked over to him. Genji grinned and pushed the door open all the way, letting McCree see his sister in all her glory. He snuck a glance at the gunslinger and grinned behind his facemask.

McCree looked stunned. He had enough presence of mind to keep his mouth firmly closed, but his eyes were huge. They trailed up and down Hanzo’s body, clearly not believing that the beautiful woman standing in front of him was the same one that could put an arrow through someone’s eye halfway across a busy marketplace.

“Wow,” McCree finally whispered.

“Not too bad yourself,” Hanzo smiled as she shyly tucked the loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Shall we get going?”

Genji tipped his head back. Of course she managed to get herself back under control as soon as she saw McCree. He wanted McCree to see his sister all flustered over him just once to let him know that, yes, Hanzo was actually seriously interested in him.

McCree grinned down at her and offered his arm. “Thought you’d never ask, darlin’,” he crooned.

Hanzo slipped her arm easily over McCree’s, batting her eyelashes sweetly up at him. “Can you even dance in cowboy boots?” she asked.

“I can, sorta; why?” McCree frowned.

“He’s my dance partner if you can’t keep up,” Hanzo replied, jerking a thumb at Genji over her shoulder.

“Good luck,” Genji cackled as he trotted at their heels.

McCree grimaced over his shoulder. “I hate it when you laugh like that, Genji,” he sighed.

“You’ll learn to ignore it,” Hanzo smirked. “Or just start laughing with him.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” McCree smiled at Hanzo.

Genji almost facepalmed at the sight of the lovesick look on McCree’s face. It was almost mirrored by Hanzo’s shy smile. Neither of them seemed to notice that he was shaking his head behind them. They were so sickeningly cute that he wanted to scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now they have finally kissed~ And yay, dance party coming up. As well as more sexy times. So yes, the way to Hanzo's heart is through her brother. You can save her all you want, she'll be amused. You save Genji's life while she's there to see and she will shower you in gratitude.


	20. Chapter 19

Jack was used to sitting dances out. As much as Gabriel absolutely loved to dance and was a terrific dancer, he had two left feet and spent more time trying not to get in her way than actually trying to keep up. Watching Hanzo and Genji absolutely dominate the dancefloor made him wish he could do more than the most basic of “I’m Trying to Stomp on a Spider”.

It didn’t matter what song played through the speakers, Hanzo and Genji were moving in beat with it. Tango, samba, cha-cha, and more that he had no names for; they were ready. The crowds were going wild, screaming for encore after encore as the Shimadas tore up the dancefloor. They didn’t even seem to notice Reinhardt and Gabriel having just as much fun, grinning at each other as they spun around and around with the exact same flare for the dramatic.

He couldn’t remember ever seeing Hanzo so happy. Her eyes were sparkling and she looked absolutely stunning in her dress. Everyone’s eyes were on her and Genji even as they finally came to a stop as the music faded out. A long whine of disappointment resounded through the room as the siblings requested a few minutes to rest.

“Why aren’t you up joining the fun?” Hanzo asked as she dropped into a chair beside him.

“Can’t dance,” Jack smirked.

“Honestly?” she raised an eyebrow at him.

“Leave the old man alone,” Gabriel chided as she dropped down on Jack’s other side and pulled him over for a heated kiss. “Mmm, not his fault he can’t follow a rhythm with his hips to save his life.”

“Good to see you in a good mood,” Jack grumbled as they pulled apart.

Gabriel ran her thumb over his lips before stealing a sip of his beer. He marvelled quietly at her beauty, loving every inch of her muscles and the way her long black dress hugged her curves. The Soldier Enhancement Program had stolen most of her softer features, but she still had hips and the most heart-stopping, beautiful smile he ever had the pleasure of seeing.

“ _Eres bella,_ _mi reina_ ,” he murmured.

“Ooh,” Genji laughed as he dropped down on Hanzo’s other side. “Someone’s being romantic.”

“His accent is terrible,” Gabriel shrugged before she leaned on his shoulder and almost sent him sprawling onto Hanzo. “Mmm, but at least this _culo_ is trying.”

Jack glared at her as McCree sat down across from him and pushed a glass of water towards Hanzo. “Does she do this to you?” Jack asked.

“Insult me with random Spanish swears? She does that to everyone,” McCree chuckled.

“Not Gabriel; Hanzo,” Jack clarified. “Does she insult you in Japanese?”

Genji let out a sputtering noise as Hanzo covered her mouth to hide her laugh. McCree shook his head and took a swig of his beer.

“Nah, she’s better mannered than that,” he replied. “She speaks whole sentences in Japanese and then looks at me expectantly like I’m supposed to know what the hell she just said.”

“There’s no better way to learn the language than to make you speak it,” Hanzo smirked.

“Oh no; are we going to have another Salt Incident?” Jack grinned.

“Salt Incident?” Hanzo lifted an eyebrow.

“Before Overwatch, I was trying to teach Jack how to speak Spanish by insisting he spoke only in Spanish,” Gabriel smirked. “One of the first things he ever said was ‘passe el salta’. I damn near lobbed the salt shaker at his head.”

“Turned out to be a terrible idea anyways,” Jack laughed nervously. “I’m terrible with languages.”

“Not everyone can speak two languages,” Hanzo patted his shoulder.

“You can speak almost five,” Genji chirped.

“You aren’t helping, _otouto_ ,” Jack grumbled.

“Five languages?” McCree gawked at her.

“It was either take more language classes with my tutors or spend time with my father; I went with languages,” Hanzo grimaced.

“Japanese, English, Portuguese, German, and passable Cantonese,” Genji said proudly.

“And you can dance and sing and shoot an arrow with amazing accuracy,” Gabriel lifted an eyebrow. “Did you even have a childhood?”

“Not really,” Hanzo shrugged. “Explains a lot?”

“Just a little,” Gabriel smirked. “So, care to explain why you got all dolled up but your date still looks as scruffy as ever.”

“Hey, I washed and shaved!” McCree pouted.

Hanzo laughed and tossed the end of her ponytail over her shoulder. “Never hurts to look good on the first date,” she said. “First impressions and all that.”

 “And one of you had to look good,” Genji snickered.

“I look just fine, thank you,” McCree snapped.

“Scruffy looks good on you,” Hanzo agreed as she reached across the table to pat his hand. “Although, you could have at least TRIED to even your hair out.”

“What the HELL, woman?” McCree pouted.

“Tell you what; I’ll make it up to you on the next song,” Hanzo winked.

“Please be something for line-dancing,” Genji whispered. “I want to see twinkle-toes try to dance in cowboy boots.”

“And you can go straight to Hell, Genji Shimada,” McCree growled.

Hanzo sipped her water as a slow song started playing. She glanced at McCree and smiled as she set her glass down. McCree hurried to follow her, grinning like an over-excited toddler as Hanzo turned and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. It was like watching a couple of teenagers at a prom turning in slow circles and not looking at anyone else.

“They’re so cute,” Genji giggled.

“I just hope they use a condom; I’m not playing babysitter,” Gabriel snorted.

Jack spat the last of his beer across the table and almost choked on it.

* * *

 

Hanzo was laughing as she dragged McCree into his room by his lapels. Her eyes were still dancing from the last song, her chest heaving under the dark blue fabric of her dress. He stumbled in her wake, reaching for her with a laugh as he closed the door behind him.

Her mouth was hot against his, pulling him down towards her and dragging her nails roughly through his hair and over his scalp. He hissed at the sensation, reaching up to pull the golden scarf from her hair so he could return the favour. His teeth scraped lipstick from her lips as he worried her bottom lip, loving the soft moan it pulled from her.

Her fingers were all over his shirt, slipping buttons loose and pulling it smoothly off of his shoulders. He pushed the shoulder off of her dress, letting her wiggle out of it because she was rubbing against him the whole time. The dress dropped to the ground and she lifted herself up to bite at his earlobe.

“Give me a minute,” she purred into his ear.

“We got all night, Hanzo,” McCree grinned. “Ain’t no rush.”

She pulled away, drawing her finger up his throat and under his chin. He followed the finger a step or two, hazy eyes watching as she turned around. She was wearing plain black underwear, so that killed any thought of her trying to surprise him with sexy lingerie. He pouted for a moment before he spotted a blue and white claw tattooed to the inside of her thigh.

He saw her chest rise and fall before she pulled the familiar, long-bodied black sports bra off over her head. He watched the muscles play across her back, his jaw falling open at the expansion of blue, black, gold, and white ink that looped across the small of her back. He barely noticed her removing her underwear, his eyes focusing on the detail put into the tattoo that rivaled the one on her arm.

“Well?” she asked as she turned around and rested a hand on her hip. “What do you think?”

McCree’s mouth fell open even further as he drank Hanzo in. She had the body of a warrior, all muscle and scars crisscrossing her body. His eyes travelled over her chest and he licked his lips slowly; the sports bra made sense to him now. There was barely any breast tissue left from the size of her pectorals; they didn’t make a bra cup small enough to support her. Her stomach was flat and roughly defined by deeply lined muscles. Her arms weren’t a surprise; the strength necessary to pull the string of her bow made sure she was a powerful woman.

Most impressive, however, was the huge dragon tattoo that was stretched across her torso. He had spotted the beast’s head across her shoulder blades a few times, but seeing it in its entirety was breath-taking. It coiled its way up from her right knee, one foot on the inside of her right thigh, looped around her stomach and stretched up across her chest, engulfing her right breast to where the neck connected with the dragon’s head. One clawed paw was directly over her heart.

“That’s what you’ve been hiding?” he whispered as he walked forward.

“I am…self-conscious at times,” she admitted. “Most of my past lovers did not like the idea of me having such extensive tattoo work done. They believed that it would dull my nerves and make me…unresponsive to their touch.”

“Oh?” he asked as he reached up to fondle her right nipple. She gasped softly at the touch, covering her face with a hand as a blush spread across her face. “I think they’re all a bunch of idiots, Hanzo.”

“And your pants are still on, cowboy,” she growled.

He scrambled to take his jeans off, grinning at Hanzo as she laughed. He didn’t give her time to recover before he was kissing her again, running his hands over her body, mapping the scars that covered her as she enthusiastically did the same to him.

He wasn’t sure when the condom was rolled down his length or when they ended up on his bed, but if the mattress wasn’t broken in before it was after they were finished. One thing he learned quickly was that Hanzo knew how to use her body, arching her hips and meeting his thrusts with quick movements of her own. She wasn’t someone that was passive in love-making; she knew what she wanted and she would get it however she desired.

She scaled him with ease, digging her nails into his flesh as she nipped and bit at his chin, worrying his bottom lip between her teeth as she slowly pushed him onto his back. He watched her set her own pace, bucking his hips gently as his blood rushed directly to his loins. His climax came twice for every one of hers, each one signalling a change in position that sent both a thrill through him and a curious sense of adoration for the dragon-lady that had decided that he was worthy of her time.

When they finally collapsed in exhaustion, McCree could barely keep his eyes open. He pushed his face into Hanzo’s hair, murmuring softly as she shifted onto her back. She reached up to stroke his face, drawing a finger slowly down his jaw.

“Well,” she yawned, “that was enjoyable. Going to be hard to top that.”

“Had to make a good first impression,” he yawned.

“I think you did an amazing job,” she smirked. “You going to be able to walk in the morning, Jesse?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Uh huh,” she stretched her legs out. “We’ll see in the morning, cowboy.”

He chuckled softly and ran his lips over her neck. She let out a soft sigh and turned her head to rest her cheek against the top of his head.

* * *

 

Jack whimpered into the pillow as Gabriel worked the strap-on deeper into him. She was being rough, biting and nipping at him as her nails clawed along his sides. Her teeth pulled on his earlobe, forcing his head back with a soft moan.

“Mmm, come on, _cariño_ ,” she purred into his ear. “Let me see that pretty face of yours.”

Jack shifted a little, glancing over his shoulder to look at her. His eyes were unfocused, sweat dripping down his face as his body reacted to her thrusts. He looked amazing, wriggling and helpless under her while she pleasured him in a way that most women couldn’t. While she couldn’t feel what her lover’s body was doing around the length of flexible rubber, she did enjoy the sensation of her hips meeting his from a different angle.

There were so few men who would happily request something like this, but Jack loved it when she dug out the strap-on. It certainly amused her to no end to see the greedy look in his eyes and it helped to satisfy her own desires to dominate without having to cause bodily harm to the man she loved.

“Gabriel,” he moaned out.

“Mmm, do you like this, Jack?” she teased, drawing her teeth slowly along his jaw towards his mouth.

His lips were hot against hers and her tongue pressed eagerly into his mouth to lay claim to him. He arched his back into her, letting her feel the thick line of his spine and the strong muscles that crowded around it. Her hips shifted and change angles to accommodate his movements, but the thrusting never slowed down.

“Didn’t answer the question,” she growled playfully as she reached down to play with his hips.

“I love it,” he groaned. He arched again, gasping loudly in pleasure. “G-Gabe!”

Something triggered inside of her, a black, terrible thing that blotted out the world. It wanted to rut harder, claim the strong man beneath her, and make him understand his place. She snarled in his ear and pinned him to the bed, biting his neck and shoulders roughly enough to draw blood, but she didn’t notice. Her hands were claws on either side of his head, digging into the sheets as her thrusts turned rough and merciless.

There was no thought in her brain. Everything was wrapped in thick fog as her hips continued thrusting furiously into the soft form beneath her. Her teeth found flesh and bit hard, marking the trembling man beneath her as her nails threatened to tear their sheets to ribbons.

“Gabe…Gabe, it hurts,” Jack choked out.

The pain in his voice took too long to reach her. She felt her hips move two more times before she was able to shake the darkness off. She crouched over him, panting as she took in the damage she had done to her beloved Jack. There was so much blood across his shoulders and the teeth marks were ugly to look at. Guilt punched her hard in the gut and she stooped her head to kiss over every injury, hugging him around the chest as she tried to corral the darkness back into her chest.

“Oh fuck,” she whispered as she held his trembling body to her. “Oh fuck; Jack I’m so sorry.”

He shifted, carefully pulling himself off of her and untangling himself from her arms. “Can I have a minute?”

“You can have as many as you need,” she soothed as she let him go.

He propped himself up against the headboard, one hand shifting down to cup his backside awkwardly. He tipped his head back, breathing heavily in through his nose as small tremors racked his body. Gabriel watched him, hating herself for losing control like that, and didn’t dare approach until he held his hand out to her.

She took his offered hand, kissing the knuckles gently before she shifted closer. She kissed over his shoulders, soothing her hands down his chest until they settled comfortably on his stomach. He was still rock hard and didn’t show any signs of sending the blood back to the rest of his body.

“I’m not going to be able to sit down tomorrow,” he joked.

“I’m sure Ana can do your paperwork for you,” Gabriel said as she ran her lips over a particularly deep bite. “We can just stay in bed so I can make it up to you.”

“Don’t you have paperwork?” he asked with a laugh.

“It can wait,” she huffed. “You’re more important.”

Jack laughed, his eyes twinkling with affection and a new wave of arousal. Slowly, he straddled her lap, smiling at her as she rested her hands on his hips. He kissed her, rocking slowly in her lap to stimulate himself.

“You sure?” she asked as she returned the kisses.

Her touches were much more reserved than before, light and delicate rather than rough and possessive. She didn’t want to hurt him more than she already had.

“I am,” he smiled.

He helped guide the toy back in, groaning as he started bouncing on her. Her hands wrapped slowly around his waist, helping keep his momentum. He chewed on his lower lip, moaning softly as his head rolled back.

She watched him the whole time, smiling at the easy display of trust. It would be nothing to hurt him now, to hold his hips down and let the darkness take over again. So easy and so very, very wrong. It was not what she wanted for herself and it was not what she wanted for Jack. It would never be something she did intentionally. She stamped the darkness down, clamping it under a mountain of restraint where it belonged. It had no place in her life outside of eating souls.

Jack pushed himself down one more time and climaxed, covering both of their bellies in seed. He slumped forward in her lap, groaning against her chest as he shivered in delight.

Gabriel’s right hand left his waist and gently cupped his cheek. “You’re so handsome when you finish,” she teased. “All squirmy and pink in the face. Makes a woman weak in the knees.”

Jack rubbed the back of his neck and let out a soft laugh. “Well, I certainly don’t want you getting hurt,” he smiled.

Gabriel smirked and kissed him hungrily. “Don’t you give me that smile, boy-scout,” she growled playfully. “I might have to do something terrible to you.”

“Would I enjoy it?” he grinned.

“You might,” she purred as she ran her fingers slowly down his chest. “Or,” she slipped her fingers quickly up and teased it around a nipple, “it might scare you away from me.”

“Unless you suddenly sprouted massive fangs and tried to chew my face off, I don’t think that will happen,” he laughed around his moan of pleasure.

“Yes, because that is definitely possible,” she laughed. “If I chewed up your face, what would I look at first thing in the morning?”

“A very ugly mass of bandages,” Jack grinned.

Gabriel chuckled and lifted Jack’s chin up, gently kissing him. “You dork.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Hanzo and Jesse are officially an item. IT ONLY TOOK 19 CHAPTERS. When I say slow burn, I MEAN IT. All the slow burning.
> 
> And yes. Sex between Gabriel and Jack is never what you expect. She has been using that toy this entire time when I haven't written it. Jack loves it. 
> 
> Hope you all have been enjoying the story. It's about to get crazy again.


	21. Chapter 20

“Commander Reyes?” Hanzo called as she stood in the doorway.

“Must be serious if you’re using my title,” Gabriel snorted as she looked up from a report. “Come on in and take a seat. Excuse the mess.”

Hanzo strode forward and sank into the chair in front of Gabriel’s desk. Her desk was covered in paperwork, most of it finished and in desperate need of filing and organizing.

“Don’t you have a second in command to help you?” Hanzo asked.

“Nope,” Gabriel snorted. “Don’t trust anyone enough to let them touch this stuff. What can I help you with?”

“I have come to a decision about joining Blackwatch,” Hanzo said.

“And?” Gabriel’s brown eyes gleamed eagerly.

“I have decided to accept the offer,” Hanzo bowed her head. “My skills are of more use to you than they are to Commander Morrison.”

“Damn fucking straight,” Gabriel cackled. “Come on; let’s go get you suited up. We have a briefing in a couple of hours that I think you will be most useful for.”

Hanzo rose to her feet and followed Gabriel out of her office. She kept pace with Gabriel with some difficulty; the woman’s strides were much longer than hers; but she could tell that she had put her commanding officer in a good mood.

Gabriel was very thorough in getting Hanzo properly equipped with her new Blackwatch uniform. Where Overwatch was lenient with the rules for use of uniform; such as Hanzo’s _kyudo-gi_ or Tracer’s bomber jacket; Gabriel insisted that she wear the uniform on missions.

“It’ll keep you from falling over dead immediately,” Gabriel smirked as she handed the skin-tight shirt over to Hanzo. “Feel free to change the sleeve if you need to; can’t say I’ve had too many archers pass through my unit.”

Hanzo pulled her shirt off over her head, paused, turned away from Gabriel, and pulled her sports bra off as well. She pulled the skin-tight shirt over her head and grimaced at the closeness. She tugged on the sleeve of her left arm, frowning a little. It would definitely have to come off; there was no way she could pull Storm Bow with the sleeve restricting her movements.

“Tight?” Gabriel asked.

“A little.”

“Should be fine,” Gabriel walked around her. “Seems like it fits everywhere else. What size shoe do you have?”

“6 in American.”

“Pfft,” Gabriel laughed. “You have such tiny feet.”

“Bite me,” Hanzo grumbled.

“Don’t tempt me,” Gabriel grinned as she handed over a pair of combat boots. “Only Jesse can get away with his damn cowboy boots because he moves faster in those things than in the standard set.

“I…think I will have to pass,” Hanzo examined the boots uncomfortably. “These will not provide enough support.”

“What?” Gabriel turned around from where she was looking at belts. “Oh, right; you have fucked up ankles. Well, see if you can’t wiggle them over top of your boots. I can grab the next size up if you need it.”

“That would be best,” she nodded as she handed the boots back.

The sevens were a little tight around her boot, but the eights would have been far too large. She would have to deal with the discomfort or quietly leave the combat boots behind. They would get in her way when she was climbing anyways. They did not have the same grip that her boots did.

Gabriel handed her a pair of pants that were difficult to get over her boots, but some careful wiggling kept her kneeguards from shredding them to pieces. Then came the utility belt; it was more for holding handgun ammunition than anything, but Gabriel was insistent that she have it. Next was a chest-piece that snapped roughly into place and kept what was left of her breasts from moving.

“Well, don’t you look good,” Gabriel smirked as she looked Hanzo over.

“I certainly look the part of Blackwatch,” Hanzo agreed as she tucked her shirt properly into her pants.

“Give it a few days and you’ll feel like part of the family,” Gabriel smirked. “Now come on; everyone else should be gathering in the briefing room.”

Hanzo fell into step behind Gabriel. Heads turned as they walked by and whispers followed her through the base. She spotted Genji out of the corner of her eye with Zenyatta, but she couldn’t tell if he was surprised or not. He straightened his back as she walked by, nodding his head as Zenyatta laced his fingers together in greeting. She nodded in return and flashed him a small smile as she swept past him.

Gabriel pushed the door to the briefing room open, holding it just long enough for Hanzo to slip through behind her. Eyes snapped to her immediately as she dropped into the free spot beside McCree. She sat up straight in her chair, hands folded neatly on her lap.

Gabriel sat in her chair at the head of the table and swept her gaze over what remained of the Gibraltar chapter of Blackwatch. “I’ll have to admit, this is not what I was expecting to see for this mission,” she said calmly. “Our numbers are down because of the fuck up in Germany and I’m not dragging anymore Overwatch agents into this shitstorm. None of them made it out the last time save for one and if shit hits the fan again, I’m not dealing with the fallout.” Her eyes swept the room before they settled on Hanzo. “This is a big one, boys and girls, and likely more dangerous than Germany on account of one thing; we’re going after a group of killers and they don’t pull punches or leave enough behind for identification.”

Gabriel flicked something on the table in front of her and a holographic image of a village appeared in front of them. Hanzo tensed up, staring at the village in disbelief.

“Hanamura,” she murmured softly.

She stared at the image for another moment before she slowly turned to look at Gabriel. Gabriel was watching her closely, her face devoid of all emotion. The rest of the table was squinting at the village, clearly not understanding what their mission was.

“We’re going after the Shimada Clan,” Hanzo said and the room went deathly silent. “That is why you were so eager to have me aboard.”

“I haven’t been able to get any good intel on your family, Hanzo,” Gabriel nodded her head sharply. “I need to know what we’re up against.”

Hanzo shook her head in amusement. Why was she not surprised that there was an ulterior motive for Gabriel asking her to join? How long had she been looking for an excuse to collect her from Nepal and stick her amongst the ranks of Blackwatch for this sole mission? She looked at the hologram in front of her and pursed her lips.

“She won’t help us,” Lotus growled. “Shimadas can’t be trusted. All the leader has to do is tell her to turn on us and she’ll do it.”

“Itsuki can go shove his cock in a meat grinder for all I care,” Hanzo growled and pegged the woman with a cold look. “He has no control over me and he never will.”

“Ow,” McCree coughed beside her. “Remind me to stay off your bad side.”

“You’re implying I have a good side,” Hanzo smirked at him.

“So the leader is named Itsuki?” Gabriel asked.

Hanzo nodded. “He’s from the secondary line of the Shimada family. He was appointed leader when the heir…vanished.”

“How much you want to bet that this Ituski guy killed the other guy to get that power?” Ash snorted.

“Itsuki had nothing to do with the heir’s disappearance,” Hanzo said. “No one knows where they went.”

“Too bad; would be good to remove the line entirely,” Trice growled.

Hanzo laughed at him. “You really think removing one or two people is going to stop something as powerful as the strangle-hold the Shimada Clan possesses on most of the population?” she asked. “Marriage alliances are still incredibly popular; they can go underground and have a new leader bred and groomed in a very short amount of time that would have as much claim to leadership as the heir does.”

“So you think we don’t stand a chance,” Gabriel said.

“Not of wiping out the clan entirely,” she shook her head. “However, you could disrupt their chain of command and leave them vulnerable to other eager clans looking for a foothold in Hanamura.”

“So we kill Itsuki?” McCree asked.

“No,” Hanzo shook her head. “Itsuki is an idiot. He’s a powerful idiot, but he doesn’t know the first thing about holding onto the power that was bestowed upon him. Kill him and someone more competent will take his place. Leaving him alive and slowly eliminating his officers instead will be much more effective.”

“And they’ll turn on each other like a snake eating its own tail,” McCree grinned. “Not bad.”

“It’s a favourite strategy of the Yakuza clans,” Lotus growled. “You must be very high in their ranks to know that tactic.”

 _‘I’ve used it a number of times,’_ Hanzo thought. “I left the clan, Yumi,” she said, using the woman’s proper name just to see her bristle. “Regardless of where I fell in the grand scheme, I have no claim to anything.”

“How do we know that you can be trusted?” Lotus snapped.

A chorus of agreements floated around the table. McCree tensed up beside her, but Hanzo looped her leg around his and gently rubbed her heel against his calf. She glanced at Gabriel and shrugged a shoulder.

“Who better to kill a Shimada than another Shimada?” she asked. “I have no love for Itsuki and his cronies. Killing them will be a delight.”

“And that’s why you can’t trust Shimadas,” Lotus growled.

“Rather have her on our side,” Amelie snorted. “At least I know where to find her if she needs to be put down.”

Hanzo shrugged a shoulder in agreement before Gabriel leaned forward. “Would you know anything about patrols?” she asked.

Hanzo shook her head. “I haven’t been to Shimada Castle in over a year and it’s been five years since I was counted amongst the Clan numbers. You’ll need boots on the ground for that information.”

Gabriel nodded slowly. “I need volunteers for recon,” she said. “Not you, Hanzo; last thing I need is for you to get caught. You’re my wild card in this operation; the longer those bastards don’t know we’ve got a Shimada on our side, the better.”

“I’ll go,” McCree nodded his head. “Good excuse to get off base for a while, right?”

“Sure, so long as you keep focused and don’t give away your position,” Gabriel glared at him. “Leave the hat behind and wear a normal pair of shoes.”

“Can I wear the belt?”

Gabriel let out a long suffering sigh. “Who else is volunteering?”

* * *

 

McCree sat outside a noodle shop with Lotus, struggling with his chopsticks. Lotus wasn’t in the mood to help him out, her eyes flicking between the phone in her hand and the street. Two other agents were located near the Castle, arms linked and pretending to be newlyweds; it was hilarious how well the two men pulled it off considering they rarely worked together.

“See anything interesting?” he asked as he failed to get the piece of shrimp into his mouth. Again.

“Nothing,” she replied. “I’m starting to think she was lying to us.”

“Highly doubt it,” McCree replied as he impaled the stubborn shrimp on his chopstick.

HA! There! Take that you over-cooked piece of seafood! You cannot escape the grip of Jesse McCree!

“She hasn’t told us much; where did she even fall in that line of succession?” Lotus demanded for the third time that day alone.

“Does it matter?” McCree asked. “She has no contact with them and they’d kill her on sight.”

“You don’t actually believe…,” she started to say before she dropped her gaze back to her phone. “Three on the left.”

McCree shifted over to look at her phone, smiling as if his girlfriend was showing him a funny video. Three men were walking across the street from them, their gait smooth and stern. The locals scuttled out of the way, keeping their heads down. McCree dug his phone out and pretended to take a picture with Lotus, smiling as he angled the phone to capture the image of the men instead.

 _‘You know these guys?’_ he sent the picture to Hanzo.

She was on stand-by back in Gibraltar, ready to identify anything that was sent in. Little dots appeared below the picture, signalling that Hanzo was typing something.

_‘One in the middle is Iwao, Itsuki’s younger brother. He’s a bastard; no chance to inherit anything and is only allowed in the Clan because of his brother’s good will.’_

_‘The other two?’_

_‘Grunts. Unless you see a scarf on them.’_

_‘Nope.’_

_‘Then just grunts.’_

“Boss’ younger brother,” he murmured to Lotus. “Think we should follow?”

Lotus shook her head. “They just ducked into a building. Too good a place to get ambushed. Finish your noodles and we’ll do another sweep of the area.”

McCree nodded and scooted back to his bowl of soup. He was half-tempted to just lift the bowl up and drink everything down. He was not getting the hang of the stupid chopsticks and Lotus was not helping him at all. He finally managed to get the noodles into his mouth and started slurping them up when his phone went off.

 _‘You look so stupid.’_ Hanzo texted him. _‘The broth is all over your face!’_

 _‘Ha ha.’_ He typed back. _‘How’d you even know?’_

_‘Lotus sent a picture.’_

“Thought you said to only send pictures that were relevant to our mission,” he growled at Lotus.

“It was relevant; I have to deal with your stupidity,” Lotus snorted.

“So mean,” McCree huffed as he pulled a cigarillo out of his pack and lit it. “Think I’m done with this food. Seriously, I need to remember to pack a fork with me.”

“That would be wise,” Lotus said as she got to her feet.

McCree stuck his phone in his back pocket and stood up, following Lotus back into the street. She looped her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder, but there was no real emotion behind it. She was watching the world, more concerned with finding ways to destroy the Shimada Clan than keeping up appearances.

McCree pulled his phone out of his pocket and pretended to be taking a picture of the Castle. In reality, he had spotted someone in a beautifully tailored suit that looked like someone they would want to keep tabs on.

 _‘Who’s this?’_ he sent to Hanzo.

_‘Don’t get close. Whatever you do, do NOT get close.’_

_‘Trouble?’_

_‘That’s Maki Orochi; he’s one of Itsuki’s highest ranking council members. He will kill you if he so much as guesses that you’re with Blackwatch.’_

_‘Got it.’_

He carefully steered Lotus onto a side street, whispering what Hanzo had just told him. “Think he’d be our best target?” he asked.

“Might be. Best to let Gabriel decide,” Lotus shrugged.

Right on cue, McCree’s phone started ringing. “Howdy,” he greeted as he put the phone to his ear.

“Hanzo just showed me the picture; we’ll be there soon,” Gabriel said. “Stay low until we arrive.”

“Roger that,” McCree nodded and hung up. He looped his arm around Lotus’ waist and pulled her close. “Boss said to lie low until the others arrive.”

“I’ll text Marcus and let him know,” Lotus nodded as she rested her head on his chest.

They wound their way through the street of Hanamura, pretending to take their time seeing the sights on their way back to the hotel they were staying in. They separated as soon as the door to their room shut behind them. Lotus set up her scope to keep an eye on the streets while McCree got to work organizing the information they had collected so far.

* * *

 

It took Gabriel a week to get everything set up in Hanamura. Her contacts had managed to secure a safe-house for them and a few calls to the other Watchpoints netted her an additional five soldiers to work with. It didn’t bolster her numbers a lot, but five more sets of eyes was better than none.

“Good to see you, Boss,” McCree greeted as they stepped into the safe-house. “Flight was good to you?”

“As well as can be expected when you’re stuck in a shuttle for almost twelve hours,” Gabriel replied as she dropped her gear beside the door and stretched. “How has your week been?”

“Not too bad; thought Lotus was going to kill me a few times,” McCree grinned.

“So no different than normal,” Gabriel shook her head.

McCree’s eyes slid past her and brightened as Hanzo walked in behind her. He hurried over to her, grinning widely as she reached up to slap his hat on his head. They shared a quick kiss, just enough to say hello, before McCree picked up the gear she had hauled in and led the way deeper into the safe-house. Gabriel shook her head in amusement; they were trying to be so quiet about their relationship, but everyone knew that the two of them were seeing each other.

She waited for the rest of her soldiers to arrive and get their gear stored before she called a meeting. Her two recon teams displayed their finds, pointing out patrol patterns and armaments that they had either spotted or managed to take a picture of. She found it particularly amusing that Marcus and Flare had managed to get pictures taken with some guards, all of them grinning and flashing peace signs.

Hanzo seemed particularly annoyed with the finds. “Only one guard every twenty minutes?” she grumbled under her breath. “You’d think they’d be able to afford more to protect the Castle.”

“They might be very confident in their abilities,” McCree grinned.

“Of course they are, but that’s no reason to be careless,” she shook her head. “Almost makes me want to punch his chief of security in the face.”

“Almost?” Gabriel asked.

“On the one hand, he’s an idiot; on the other, it makes our job easier,” Hanzo shrugged. “I am torn.”

“If he’s in the Castle when we start, I’ll make sure to tie him up for you,” Gabriel smirked before she brought up the blueprints for the castle. “Alright, so we know that this Maki Orochi is still in Hanamura and is staying in one of the upper floors.”

“Most likely the east wing,” Hanzo pointed to the corresponding rooms. “It’s reserved for esteemed guests, but who knows what Itsuki has done since he took over.”

“Alright,” Gabriel nodded. “What’s the fastest way to get there?”

“Through the gardens and up through the temple,” Hanzo drew the route in the hologram. “It’s almost never patrolled.”

“Almost never?” Ash demanded.

“On the rare occasion there might be someone walking around, but I’m sure a team of agents can handle one guard,” Hanzo snorted.

“Maybe we’ll be lucky and Maki-san will be in the gardens taking a leak,” McCree grinned.

“Why would he do that in the gardens when there’s working bathrooms in the castle?” Hanzo blinked at him in confusion.

“It’s a joke.”

“Oh. Not a very good one, Jesse.”

McCree pouted as Gabriel brought the map of the village up. “Amelie, I want you and the other snipers positioned around the Castle. Hanzo, your bow doesn’t have the same range as a rifle, so I want you flanking us as we move.”

“Understood,” Hanzo nodded.

“We don’t have a lot of time to run sims, but this is a basic assassination,” Gabriel nodded. “We go in, we eliminate the target, and we get out. Clean and simple.”

“Collateral damage?” Lotus asked.

“Anyone with a weapon is fair game,” Gabriel snorted. “You hit anyone else and I will skin you alive.”

The room let out murmurs of understanding. Gabriel pushed her hair out of her eyes and nodded.

“We hit tomorrow night. Get some rest and get your gear ready. I want to move as soon as the sun goes down.”

Her agents saluted and exited the room to go throw themselves into the closest bunk and sleep. When she was alone, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and carefully scrolled through the contacts. She found Jack’s number and sent a quick text.

_‘Arrived. Party tomorrow. Can’t bring back souvenir, sorry.’_

Two minutes passed before her phone vibrated.

_‘Have fun. Try not to do anything I wouldn’t do ;p’_

_‘That would take all the fun out of it, party-pooper.’_

She smiled at the silly picture of Jack’s face he sent in return. He had his lips pursed in a pout that didn’t quite reach his happy blue eyes. She flicked over to her camera, took a quick picture of her rolling her eyes, and sent it back to him.

_‘Love you, you dork.’_

_‘Come back safe.’_

_‘I always do.’_

_‘I know. I still worry.’_

_‘I’d be insulted if you didn’t. Sleep tight whenever you get to bed.’_

_‘Love you.’_

‘ _Te amo, cariño_.’

She tucked her phone back into the pocket of her pants and exited the room, turning the lights off behind her. She found a spare bunk a few rooms over and collapsed eagerly into it, dropping her bag of gear on the floor beside it. She fished out one of Jack’s sweaters and balled it up under her chest. She tucked her nose into it, breathing her lover’s scent and settling the small pang of loneliness she felt every time they were apart.

She closed her eyes, pretended that Jack was curled up against her chest, and fell asleep.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're right back into the action! Time to start whittling the Shimada Clan down.
> 
> Long trips away from your boyfriend means stealing one of his shirts and just curling up with it. Because even Gabriel gets homesick.


	22. Chapter 21

Hanzo squinted up at the inky black sky. Rain fell heavily around her, making visibility difficult and her very, very wet. The rain was cold and she had happily accepted the spare hat from Gabriel when they had heard the rain start falling. There was nothing she could do about her bow arm; she needed it exposed to properly draw Storm Bow; and she hoped that it didn’t get too numb.

“Sun’s down,” Gabriel announced as she shouldered one of her shotguns. “Let’s get moving. This rain’s a pain in the ass, but it should give us some cover if these _bastardo_ can’t see either.”

There was a chorus of “yes sir” before the main unit started down the street. McCree glanced back at her for a moment, nodded his head, and followed at Gabriel’s heels. Hanzo inhaled slowly to calm her racing nerves before she turned and scaled the safe-house.

She followed the unit from the rooftops, trying not to think about how terribly understaffed they were. There were five snipers running behind her, setting themselves up to watch the windows of Shimada Castle. Twelve soldiers, including Gabriel, were running through the rain towards the gates. In total, there were eighteen people on the mission; the raid of the Vishkar building had had thirty.

She dropped off of the last roof and rolled to her feet, trotting around the unit to keep out of anyone’s line of sight. She heard the sharp hiss of grappling hooks being fired and watched as the agents rose one by one up the wall, pulling themselves up the rope and dropping down on the other side. She hopped up onto the gate and scaled her way to the top, the same way she had done every year since she had believed she had killed Genji.

She reached the top and peered around, frowning. The grounds were oddly quiet without a single guard in sight. This was not good.

“Something’s wrong,” she said over the comms. “Commander, the patrols are missing.”

“Keep your head down,” Gabriel replied. “We’re approaching the garden now. See if you can’t find somewhere to provide cover fire.”

“Understood,” she nodded.

She slipped down off of the gate to the wall and carefully ran along the edge. There should have been guards patrolling beneath her and on the wall around her. Her gut twisted; Itsuki would never allow something this blatantly stupid to happen. It was stupid not to have patrols and guards; any other Clan could show up at any moment. This wasn’t right. This was…

A set up.

She knew it as soon as she hopped over to the other wall hemming in the garden. She crouched low, flattening her belly against the slick stone wall beneath her.

“Get out of there!” she hissed. “We’ve been set up!”

“Fuck.”

She heard gunshots and screams. She bolted forward, nocking a Scatter Arrow, until she saw how greatly outnumbered they were. There was almost a three to one difference and the Shimada men were wielding shock-guns designed to take out a raging wild animal. She saw the leads fly through the air and strike the Blackwatch agents, pumping them full of electricity and bringing them to their knees.

They never had a chance to return fire, not even Gabriel who had managed to put some distance between herself and the goons. She twisted around to fire, but two leads slammed into her chest. Her scream of pain turned Hanzo’s insides to liquid. The massive woman dropped like a felled tree, slamming into the ground, and laid there twitching. The goons surrounded the downed agents, tying them up and hauling them into the temple.

“Strike team has been compromised,” Hanzo hissed into the comms. “I repeat, Strike team has been compromised. I need back up on this position.”

“We are snipers, Hanzo,” Amelie snarled into her ear. “What do you want us to do? No, we’re falling back to the safe house and awaiting further orders.”

Hanzo’s mouth fell open. “Are you _fucking with me_?” she demanded. “You want to just abandon them?!”

“There isn’t anything we can do; fall back, soldier!” Amelie snarled.

“No,” Hanzo shook her head. “You fall back and hide like a kicked dog. I’m going after them.”

“And what do you expect to do against those men if they could take out the Strike team?” Amelie sneered.

“I am a Shimada; I simply have to exist and my victory is assured,” she smirked. “Do not wait up.”

She slipped into the shadows and pulled her hat off of her head, stuffing it into one of the pockets on her belt. Rain continued to fall around her, pattering quietly off of the vegetation. She stayed perfectly still, waiting for the perfect target.

She did not have to wait long. A woman came around the corner of the garden, a red scarf fluttering in her braided hair. Hanzo recognized her as a cousin that she never interacted with; they were too far beneath her status to have been allowed to remain in the Castle. They would look enough alike for what she wanted, however. She had Shimada eyes and Shimada cheekbones; everything else could be faked.

She slipped out of her hiding place and moved behind the other woman. She flipped her knife out of the sheath on her hip and slammed it down into the other woman’s shoulder, angling it so it punctured her throat on the way down. She covered the woman’s mouth before she could scream, squeezing the smaller woman to her chest.

“Apologies, cousin,” she whispered as she twisted the knife and dragged it swiftly across the woman’s throat. “But I have other worries now. You’d understand if you were not so deeply ingrained in this family.”

The woman clawed at the ruins of her throat, but her screams were muffled by Hanzo’s hand. Blood oozed out between Hanzo’s fingers as she dragged the woman over to the bushes. She pulled the red scarf out of the woman’s hair and swiftly braided her own, weaving the red scarf between the strands. She pulled the woman’s jacket off and threw it over herself, straightening out the sleeves to cover her tattoo and zipping it up over her chest armor. She slung Storm Bow over her shoulder and turned towards the temple; bows were a woman’s weapon. It would not be odd for a lesser Shimada to be carrying one.

She strode forward, lifting her chin proudly as she ascended the stairs. She saw five guards as she climbed and one dragging a limp form off towards the balcony. She spotted a head of shaggy brown hair and brown cowboy boots and her stomach plummeted.

Jesse.

She swallowed her bile and continued on towards the guards. They immediately stood at attention as she approached, hands resting on the hilt of their swords in proper fashion when greeting a member of the Shimada Clan. Hanzo let her eyes move over the bound forms of the Blackwatch agents and she curled her lip.

“What are these pests doing here?” she demanded in her native tongue.

“Maki-sama has caught a group of would-be assassins, onna-Shimada,” one guard bowed his head. “He has ordered that the useless ones be left here until he decides what to do with them.”

“Here?” Hanzo demanded. “In the temple? Does he look to insult the Shimada Clan with such blatant disrespect?”

The guards looked at each other fearfully. Orochi was their superior, but he wasn’t a Shimada. The red scarf woven into her braid told them that they had to obey her word, even if it went against Orochi’s orders. Only a higher ranked Shimada could negate her orders and there were none present.

“There is nowhere else to keep them,” the lead guard said. “Forgive us, Shimada-sama, but we cannot remove them.”

Hanzo scoffed and glared at the agents. “At least move them away from the sword. Their foulness will only bring shame upon us.”

The guards scurried to obey, hauling the few agents that had been close to her sword towards the center of the room. She waited until they had bowed themselves back into their original positions before she stepped forward. She walked past the agents, feeling their eyes on her back. Did they know who she was? Did they think she had turned traitor? She hoped they were smart enough to keep their mouths shut.

She set Storm Bow down gently on the ground in front of the altar, bowing her head respectfully. Any good little Shimada would know how important the sword on display was. It was the perfect weapon to use against the guards; struck down by the sword that had shattered a dynasty. She counted to three and darted forward, grabbing the hilt of the sword tightly between her hands.

“The dragons will consume you,” she snarled as lifted the blade off of its stand.

The old weight settled comfortably into her hands. She was not a good swordsman, but she could wield the one designed for her better than any other. The guards were still for a second too long, stunned that someone had dared to desecrate her altar by touching the sword, and she killed the lead guard with a single blow across his belly.

Swords were drawn and the guards shouted their fury as they lunged for her. They were grunts trained to deal with the common rabble; they were no match against a Shimada and certainly not the heir to the Clan, regardless of how poorly she handled a sword. She parried and countered smoothly, dancing around the men as they flailed their swords at her. Three more fell to her blade and the last one managed to catch the arm of her jacket. She pivoted, flipping the blade upwards and driving the point between the man’s eyes. He let out a strangled warble before he slumped forward, almost dragging Hanzo down with him.

She cleaned the blade off on her jacket before discarding the ruined garment. She walked past the stunned agents and replaced the sword on the altar. She lifted Storm Bow and her quiver up onto her shoulder and glanced at Lotus.

“They are on the balcony?” she asked.

“Yes,” Lotus nodded slowly. “You dared…?”

“Stories later, Lotus,” Hanzo shook her head. “You will be fine here until I get back. Call Amelie if you want and see if she’ll come get you if she hasn’t gone off to hide like a kicked dog.”

“You’re just going to leave us here?” Trice demanded as he struggled onto his knees.

“Yes,” Hanzo smirked. “You’ll just get in my way.”

Without another word, she turned and headed for the balcony, nocking an arrow as she went.

It would seem that she would be able to get revenge after all.

* * *

 

McCree spat out a mouthful of blood and grinned up at the man looming over him. He hadn’t realized that his phone was still in his pocket or that he had left the file Genji had sent him full of old pictures of Hanzo open behind the lock. It figured that the guard that had pulled his phone out was an expert hacker and managed to unlock his phone. He had lost his mind as soon as he saw the first picture of Hanzo; the one of her sitting in a chair while she got the first part of her arm tattoo done; grabbing McCree by the hair and punching him in the face.

He had been dragged out of the temple and up to the balcony where Gabriel was being interrogated and thrown at Maki Orochi’s feet. The guard and the target had a heated discussion before the guard shoved the phone in his superior’s face. Maki had lost it after that, turning around and kicking McCree hard enough in the gut to make him vomit.

“I will not ask again; how did you get these pictures?” Maki snarled.

McCree let out a hoarse laugh. “Shucks, I just typed ‘hot Japanese women’ into a search engine and saved the best ones,” he lied flawlessly.

Maki snarled; or maybe his name was Orochi? He never got around to asking Hanzo which way she was saying his name, but either one worked so long as they meant “giant asshole”. A fist collided with McCree’s stomach, doubling him over and driving the wind out of him. He only remained upright because of the grip the other two guards had on his arms.

“Hachiro,” Maki growled.

The guard that had dragged McCree out onto the balcony stepped forward with a nasty grin on his face. He grabbed McCree’s right hand, lifted the index finger, and started pushing it back towards his arm. McCree howled in fury and pain, thrashing in the man’s grip.

Gabriel snarled where she was tied spread eagle against a pillar, thrashing in her restraints. Maki glanced over at her and said something dismissive in Japanese. The guards laughed and one of them punched McCree in the side of the head.

Through the ringing in his ears, he thought he heard footsteps. He blinked and shook his head, squinting through the white noise. The guards had gone rigid and looked around frantically.

Hachiro turned his head to the side, narrowing his eyes as he slowly pushed his left ear towards the doorway. McCree shouted in alarm as an arrow embedded itself into the side of the man’s head, the point of the arrowhead poking through the other side. Hachiro’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he dropped dead to the floor.

There was the distinct sound of two more arrows being loosed before McCree sank to his knees and slumped over. The guards that were holding him were in their death throes, clawing at the arrows sticking out of their throats. McCree smiled at the blue fletching as he slowly rolled to his knees. His head was pounding and spinning, but he didn’t miss the sound of someone dropping to the floor.

“You,” Maki whispered, his voice coloured with fear.

McCree looked up and watched as the tall, arrogant man dropped to his knees and threw himself forward, bowing as submissively as he could to the woman dressed in Blackwatch colours with a red scarf tied into her hair. Hanzo watched him coolly, her expression schooled as she stared down her nose at the man. Maki said something in Japanese and a cold smirk spread across Hanzo’s face

“Do speak in English, Orochi; it’s rude to intentionally make sure your guests can’t understand you,” Hanzo purred as she walked forward.

She plucked McCree’s phone out of Orochi’s outstretched hands and glanced at McCree. McCree carefully drew the design to unlock his phone in the air with his nose and Hanzo nodded as she turned and walked slowly over to him. She flicked through some of the pictures, played a video that made her smile; he could hear a very young Genji laughing and shouting in Japanese; and grimaced as she moved to the next picture.

“Ugh, I forgot he took that one, the little bastard,” she grumbled.

“Excellency,” Orochi whimpered, “please, if I had known that these men were with you….”

“Itsuki would have made sure they were executed on the spot,” Hanzo replied as she crouched down beside McCree. She kissed his cheek and ran her nose against his temple. She slipped his phone into one of the pouches on his belt and wiped a smear of blood off of his lip. “I have been gone for a long time, Orochi, but I am not a fool.”

“He would not stand against you,” Orochi whispered. “His claim is nothing if you still live. You are the true heir, Hanzo; every breath you draw illegitimates him!”

McCree grew still and looked at Hanzo. She met his gaze without flinching and smiled. She kissed him, drawing him close, and ignoring the angry snarl Orochi released at the sight.

“Itsuki can play Clan leader all he likes; he is a pathetic mouse trying to be a dragon,” Hanzo said as she pulled away and rose to her feet.

“Which is why I swear fealty to you, Great Dragon,” Orochi shouted as he twisted and shuffled forward, his arms still outstretched before him as he kept his belly on the floor. “My life is yours!”

Hanzo trailed her fingers through McCree’s hair before she stepped forward slowly. “You change allegiances as quickly as a startled bird takes flight,” she said. “What use do I have for a snivelling worm, Orochi?”

“I have always been loyal to you, Hanzo, always,” Orochi whispered.

“Yes, so loyal,” Hanzo laughed coldly. “So loyal while you tried to control me. So loyal as you tried to make me submit. So loyal as you left me bruised and beaten in my own room, a child with no understanding of what you had just done. Yes, you are so loyal to me, Orochi, my love. I should reward such loyalty, don’t you think?”

McCree watched Hanzo turn away and walk a few paces behind him. He shuffled backwards, eyeing her curiously as she lifted her inked arm. He saw movement under her shirt, like something long and muscular had slowly moved across the small of her back. A blue head emerged from her collar, twisting and coiling around her shoulders as her inked arm glowed an eerie blue. The dragon tattoo shifted and moved, drawing itself up into her hand and then flowing smoothly back over itself, joining its massive partner on Hanzo’s shoulders.

“Do you remember Kita and Minami, Orochi?” Hanzo asked as she glanced over her shoulder. “They certainly remember you.” She reached up and trailed her hand slowly down the massive dragon’s neck. “Kill him.”

The roar that issued out between the dragons’ jaws was deafening. McCree threw himself to the ground with a shout as the two glowing beasts soared towards Orochi’s prone form. McCree winced at the terrified screams of agony that filled the balcony and the sickening sound of flesh being torn open.

“Hold still,” Hanzo murmured as she rolled him over. She pulled a key out of her belt and snapped it into the handcuffs around his wrists, freeing him to rub circulation back into his numb digits. She released his ankles with the same key and helped him into a sitting position. “Are you alright?”

“I am now,” he smiled and then winced at the wet splattering sound behind Hanzo. “Fuck me.”

“Maybe later,” Hanzo smirked before she got to her feet and hurried over to Gabriel. “One moment, Gabriel.”

“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” Gabriel asked as Hanzo swiftly unchained her.

“If I told you everything I could do, it would make me too predictable,” Hanzo smiled as she helped steady the taller woman. “Kita, Minami, come!”

Just like that, the two dragons abandoned their prey, soaring over to Hanzo and happily twining around her body. Orochi was a bloody mess on the ground, but his chest still rose and fell as his insides sent streams of heat into the cool night air. Gabriel descended on him in an instant, kissing him savagely and draining his life from him to heal her own wounds. McCree looked away and fought to keep his stomach from heaving again.

“You look terrible,” Hanzo clucked as she knelt down beside him. “Oh, Jesse.”

The massive dragon on her shoulders regarded him warmly, her blood-stained muzzle shifting slightly in the faint breeze. The smaller dragon looped immediately down Hanzo’s arm as she reached out to cup McCree’s cheek, scurrying over McCree’s prosthetic, and wiping its muzzle clean on the underside of his forearm.

“Ah, geeze, Minami, I didn’t need you to share the kill with me,” McCree grimaced as he made to shoo the dragon off of him. “That’s gross.” Hanzo went stiff beside him. “What? You surprised I remembered his name?” he asked with a grin.

“Jesse,” she whispered, “I never told you which dragon was which.”

He froze. “What?” he whispered.

The dragon on Hanzo’s shoulder let out an amused rumble, resting its massive head on its claws. Hanzo bristled and hissed at the dragon.

“You _meddled_?!” she demanded. “Kita, what the hell?!”

The dragon turned and nuzzled Hanzo’s cheek, smearing blood affectionately against Hanzo’s flesh. Hanzo growled before she reached up and shoved her hands into Kita’s shaggy mane.

“You’re lucky you have good taste,” she grumbled.

“Care to fill me in?” McCree asked as he scratched behind Minami’s ears, smirking at the happy purr the action brought.

“Kita and Minami are my guardians and they decided to play match-maker,” Hanzo huffed before she went still. “Wait. Operation…you little bastards! You had Genji in on this the whole time?!”

Minami lifted his head and purred up at her. Hanzo let out a strangled noise before she threw herself across McCree’s shoulders and pouted.

“You’re both terrible and I hate you,” she huffed.

“Operation?” McCree asked.

“I heard Genji and Tracer talking the other day about how ‘Operation: Save a Horse’ was a huge success,” she grumbled.

“Save a…?” McCree blinked before he burst out laughing. “Ow, ow!” he amended as he held his abused stomach. “Hanzo’s right; y’all are terrible!”

Minami huffed and scuttled up McCree’s arm to sink back into the ink on Hanzo’s arm. Kita brushed her face one more time against Hanzo’s before slipping under her shirt and fading into the ink. McCree shifted and pulled Hanzo close, kissing over her nose and cheek until she wiggled happily into his lap.

“Normally,” Gabriel announced as she walked over, wiping blood off of her lips, “this is the part where I would berate you for being a hero. However, given the circumstances, I don’t think anyone else would have been able to get results.”

“No one else was going to come help you,” Hanzo smirked. “And the rest of the unit is still tied up in the temple.”

“You didn’t untie them?” McCree demanded.

“They just would have gotten in the way,” Hanzo shrugged. “And I wasn’t letting anyone else kill Orochi.”

Gabriel threw back her head and laughed. “You are definitely my favourite person in the unit,” she announced.

“Hey!” McCree pouted.

“Sorry, pup,” Gabriel grinned. “On your feet; let’s get the others and get back to the safe house. This mission, while not going to plan, was an incredible success. I’m sure Itsuki is going to be jumping at shadows when he sees this.”

“He’s going to be jumping at more than just shadows,” Hanzo smirked as she rose and helped McCree to his feet. “He’s going to tear his council apart trying to look for the ‘traitor’ that killed so many of his underlings.”

Gabriel and Hanzo shared a rather nasty laugh that McCree was a little unnerved by. He squinted at Hanzo, trying to figure out if she was being serious or not, and decided that he really didn’t want to know. He looped an arm around her waist, holding her close as he made up his mind about asking her about what Orochi had said later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't you just love bloody endings? I do. Hanzo gets revenge on an abuser and Jesse finally gets to meet Kita and Minami in the flesh. Sort of.


	23. Chapter 22

It took a few days to get out of Hanamura. Gabriel wanted to see how Itsuki handled the death of Orochi and she did not seem disappointed. Itsuki tore through his council, shredding whatever semblance of power that he had; Hanzo would not deny that it was incredibly satisfying to watch his empire crumble around him while he went mad with paranoia.

Gabriel didn’t comment on the fact that she was the rightful heir to the Shimada Clan’s underground empire; it was likely in her dossier. McCree had voiced concern over it, but only to the extent that he was worried that someone would come after her if they learned she was involved with Orochi’s assassination. He had his own demons to deal with and anything that the Shimada Clan had done wasn’t as bad as everyone else seemed to think it was. At least in his eyes.

The real shocker came when Lotus sat down beside her in the shuttle and smiled. “I owe you an apology, Hanzo,” she murmured. “I treated you unfairly before the mission.”

“You had every reason to be suspicious of a Shimada,” Hanzo shrugged as she did her best not to get a face full of McCree’s crotch as he tried to store something over her head. “Really, Jesse?”

“Oh, sorry, didn’t see you there,” he grinned down at her.

“I could headbutt you so hard right now,” Hanzo warned as she rested a hand on his belt buckle, keeping his hips from getting any closer to her face.

“I appreciate that you aren’t going to,” he laughed as he closed the compartment over her head and dropped down on her other side.

Lotus gave her a knowing look and bowed her head. “I had no right to treat you as poorly as I did, not when I did not extend the same behaviour to your brother,” she continued as if they hadn’t just been interrupted.

“There are no hard feelings, Lotus,” Hanzo inclined her head. “I would not trust a Shimada either.”

“I trusted you immediately,” McCree huffed.

“We won’t go into details about the number of other things you have done that are incredibly foolish,” Hanzo turned and gave him a sweet smile.

McCree pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re so mean.”

“You picked him,” Lotus teased in Japanese.

“I’m well aware,” she shot the other woman a smirk.

The twelve hour flight back to Gibraltar passed quickly enough. Hanzo dozed through most of it, her head resting on McCree’s shoulder. She saw a few camera flashes under her eyelids, but ignored it; let the idiots post pictures if they wanted. It wasn’t like she had her face in his lap or was doing something obscene.

The Watchpoint was buzzing when they finally touched down. News of the Shimada Empire falling had spread like wildfire, it would seem. For many, it was a chance at closer; the Shimada Clan were ruthless under her father’s reign. For others, it was another successful mission that they could celebrate.

Jack met them on the runway, his signature trench coat whipping around his legs in the high winds. Gabriel kissed him before he had a chance to say anything, earning snickers from the rest of the unit as they waited for their Commanders to finish.

“Miss me that much,” Jack groaned as they finally pulled apart.

“I got my ass handed to me by a bunch of puffed up security guards,” Gabriel growled. “Forgive me for wanting to at least remember what it feels like to be in charge.”

McCree let out a snort of laughter and immediately clamped his hand over his mouth. Jack’s face turned a faint shade of pink and he cleared his throat while Gabriel smirked smugly down at him.

“Right, um, well, on account of a mission well done, High Command has given the okay for us to take a few weeks and just relax,” Jack managed to choke out.

“A few weeks?” Gabriel purred, running a finger under Jack’s chin.

“What the hell, Commander? That was a twelve hour flight in utter tedium; how are you horny?!” someone demanded.

Gabriel shot a smirk over her shoulder before she bent down, hooked her arm around Jack’s waist, and hoisted her lover over her shoulder. Jack yelped in surprise, his face turning as red a tomato as Gabriel walked off.

“Dismissed,” she called over her shoulder.

“Gabriel, put me down!” Jack yelped. There was the distinctive sound of Gabriel’s hand connecting squarely with Jack’s backside and the Strike Commander let out another yelp.

“Pfft,” McCree laughed and doubled over. “Gabriel isn’t going to let him walk for days!”

“I almost feel bad for him,” Hanzo chuckled. “Almost.”

“Only almost?” Lotus asked.

“We all know he loves it,” Hanzo shook her head as she shouldered her gear. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get changed into something that isn’t skin tight and smells vaguely of blood.”

She heard someone snicker behind her as she started walking. She didn’t have to look to know that McCree was tailing her with a wide grin on his lips. She rolled her eyes in amusement as she stepped into the base and headed for the dormitories.

“You know I’m getting changed and going and getting food, right?” she called over her shoulder. “I have no other motives.”

“I can always convince you,” McCree laughed as he looped his arm around her waist. “I’ve gotten pretty good at that.”

“Maybe after I’ve had something to eat that isn’t freeze-dried and tastes of bananas,” Hanzo smiled up at him. “But I make no promises.”

“Could go get some grub right now,” McCree grinned. “You know, before you’re inevitably tackled by your little brother.”

“Speaking of which,” she mused as she stepped away from him.

She twisted and caught Genji around the middle as he lunged at her. He flailed in her grasp, cursing and spitting as he struggled to hug her tightly while simultaneously beat her over the head.

“You could have called! Do you know how worried I’ve been?!” he demanded angrily.

“I tried to call,” she smirked. “I believe your phone is dead.”

“Oh,” Genji paused in his flailing and slumped against her. “Still missed you. Was really worried.”

“I’m back now,” she chuckled as she set her brother back on his feet. “You eaten yet?”

“Nope,” Genji chirped. “Reinhardt’s cooking again; you should all be in for a treat.”

“Sounds fantastic,” McCree grinned. “You can’t go wrong with his cooking.”

Hanzo looped her arm around Genji’s waist and hugged him close. “Changing clothes first,” she said as she continued to the dormitories.

* * *

 

Jack groaned under Gabriel’s dead weight. She had her arms wrapped around his chest, refusing to let him move even though she was fast asleep. He was in a bit of pain, but nothing he wasn’t used to dealing with when Gabriel got back from a mission. His hips were sore and his backside was sore and he was positive that his lips were swollen from the number of times Gabriel had bitten him.

He wasn’t complaining. He had missed Gabriel something fierce. A cold bed was not something he was used to.

He ran his fingers slowly through Gabriel’s curls, smiling as she sighed happily against his chest. She shifted closer, wrapping her arms tightly around him. Her mouth passed slowly over his heart and he shivered in delight.

The moment was momentarily ruined by his phone vibrating angrily on the nightstand. He reached over to answer it, shifting just enough to make Gabriel growl unhappily at being moved. He kissed her cheek and picked his phone up, answering it with a soft grunt.

“Where the hell are you?” Ana demanded.

“Currently trapped under almost three hundred pounds of Latina muscle,” Jack sighed fondly. Gabriel let out an approving growl in his ear and shifted to drag her fingers over his stomach.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Ana groaned. “Jack, do you know how much paperwork is sitting in your office?”

“A lot,” he sighed. “Good luck convincing Gabriel to move though. She’s rather comfortable.”

“Give her the phone,” Ana ordered.

“Hey,” Jack smiled and stroked Gabriel’s cheek. “Ana wants to talk to you.”

“Mmm,” Gabriel huffed before she accepted the cellphone. “Yes?”

Gabriel lifted an eyebrow as Ana yelled at her on the other end of the phone. She scratched at her throat, yawning widely as she gave Jack a bored look. She pulled the phone away from her ear, glanced at the screen, and hung up. Jack’s mouth fell open as she dropped the phone back on the nightstand and started kissing down his chest.

“You just hung up on Ana,” he said in disbelief. “She’s going to kill you!”

“Let her try,” Gabriel smirked as she continued trailing kisses down his torso. “Mmm, I have something special in mind when she shows up.”

“Special?” Jack asked as her fingers rolled over his thighs. “What are you…oh no.”

Gabriel grinned viciously up at him and slowly began kissing over his cock. Heat rushed into his face and Jack slapped both hands over his face as he felt himself getting hard. He knew that she was going to drag this out as long as she could; Ana would come storming down the hallway any minute and she wanted to give their old friend the shock of her life.

Her mouth engulfed his length just as Nox announced that Ana was there to see them. Jack could barely stutter out a terrified “no” before the door slid open. He heard Ana’s snarl die on her lips and didn’t dare lower his hands as Gabriel did something particularly lewd down the length of his cock.

“Didn’t take you for a voyeur, Ana,” Gabriel chuckled as she popped off of him. Jack almost cried with relief as she rested her weight on his stomach, hiding his trembling length under her chest. “Would have invited you sooner if I knew.”

“Jack…please, please tell me,” Ana started to groan.

“I had nothing to do with any of this! I’m just the innocent bystander!” Jack yelped.

He squeaked as he felt Gabriel crawl up him and cover him with her body. She growled low in her chest and pulled Jack close.

“Mine,” she said.

Jack’s trembling length practically stabbed her in the stomach at the possessive tone she used. He heard Ana groan and throw her arms in the air.

“Fine. Fine; I know when I’m beat,” she announced. “Fuck each other into the bed for the next two weeks. Your paperwork will be mounting on your desk in the meantime.”

Gabriel purred as the door to the room slid closed. Jack swallowed and peeked out between his fingers.

“Please tell me you’re planning on finishing that blowjob,” he whined.

“No,” Gabriel smirked at him. “I have something better in mind.”

He didn’t get a chance to ask her what she was planning before she was guiding him inside of her. She sank down on his length, groaning in pleasure, and grinned wickedly at him. He brought his knees up just in time to offer support as she started riding him into the bed.

* * *

 

The room was dimly lit, more to keep Nox from noticing their presence than any desire to be secretive. They knew where the AI was capable of going even with his upgrades. He was an old model, old enough to be taken advantage of. It was what they were banking on.

“Hanamura should have been a cake-walk,” the tall man growled.

“We underestimated Shimada, again,” the woman shook her head. “This is becoming a dangerous habit.”

“Maki let himself be distracted by McCree; if he had done his job, the Shimada Clan would have Gabriel’s head on a spike,” the strong man huffed.

He had a say here only because every other operative with any real power had been killed in the botched Vishkar raid. The Boss had given him Grayson’s rank to torment him. He did his best not to let it show.

“No matter; there will be more opportunities,” the woman said. “What is the progress on Lotus?”

“Give me a few more weeks,” the tall man inclined his head. “She will see our side.”

“She’s gotten friendly with Shimada,” the strong man said. “That might sway her the other way.”

“If she cannot be reasoned with, she will be removed,” the woman shrugged a shoulder. “As for McCree….”

“It was a foolish notion to try to recruit him,” the tall man shook his head. “He is in too deep with Gabriel and Morrison. He would never betray them.”

“A pity,” the woman sighed. “We could use his aim.”

“Give any fifteen year old a gun and we can have a new McCree in a few years,” the strong man laughed. “Hopefully one without all the mommy issues.”

The woman snorted in amusement. “Keep an eye on Shimada. If you get a chance, slit her throat and be done with her; I will not have her interfering again,” she ordered.

“Understood,” the strong man saluted.

“The Boss will contact us when the next plan is in place,” the woman turned away from the other two. “Do not speak a word of this meeting.”

“Never,” the strong man promised.

“Rest well, Captain,” the tall man inclined his head before he followed her out of the room.

The strong man scratched at his throat before he stretched. He meandered out of the room, flicking the lights off as he went. It was too bad that Maki had fucked up so badly; he would have loved to see Gabriel’s head mounted like a deer above Itsuki Shimada’s office window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Gabe really does not share her Golden Boy at all and more plotting and scheming going on.


	24. Chapter 23

“Come on! Group photo!” Louis laughed as he pulled his phone out.

“What?” Hanzo asked as she shot the man a smirk.

“Group photo!” Louis rolled his eyes playfully. “We all heard the announcement this morning; Jack and Gabe have been summoned up to headquarters. That means our happy little group is about to get split up. Who knows when we’ll all be back on base at the same time?”

“He has a point,” Genji mused.

“Exactly,” Louis gestured excitedly at the table. “So everyone gather round and we’ll take a group shot for memories.”

“I hate it when you say it like that,” McCree grimaced around his cigarillo. “It sounds so final.”

“Ssh!” Louis laughed as he lifted his phone up.

He tapped a few icons on the screen before a holographic extension appeared on either side of the phone. It gave him a larger area to get a group shot of everyone without cutting someone’s head off. Hanzo immediately shifted closer to Genji, reaching out to drag Jack closer to them. Gabriel walked around the table and sat down behind Jack, pressing herself against his back and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She nuzzled her face into his neck and smirked at Hanzo as her lover turned a light shade of pink. Reinhardt leaned forward, stretching his arms out to wrap everyone into a hug. McCree wiggled himself in behind Genji, resting his weight on the table.

“Okay, Reinhardt lower your head a little,” Louis instructed. “And in three…two…one!”

Hanzo reached up at two and yanked McCree’s head down, kissing him firmly on the mouth in time for Louis to snap the picture. The shriek of delight that echoed around the courtyard as Louis looked at the picture was priceless. He batted at Hanzo’s arm, shoving his phone in her face to show her McCree’s stunned face captured in frame when he’d snapped the picture.

“I want a copy of that!” Genji cackled with delight. “I didn’t know your eyes could get that big, Jesse!”

McCree pulled his hat down to hide how red his face had become. “I wasn’t expecting that,” he murmured.

“That’s probably the most public kiss you two have had,” Gabriel chuckled as she leaned her elbows back on the table. “And that picture just confirms that I need to shave my curls off. They’re getting unruly.”

“I think they’re gorgeous,” Jack sighed as he reached up to run his fingers through her hair.

“ _Corazón_ , you think I’m gorgeous regardless of how my hair looks,” Gabriel smiled.

“I’m with Jack on this,” Genji chirped. “You should grow your hair out.”

Gabriel looked at him and let out a long sigh. “How do you manage to look adorable when I can’t even see your face?” she asked. “Fine. I’ll grow it out. But only because I want to show you how crazy these curls can get. Honestly, I don’t understand why I ever let them get as long as they used to be.”

Genji clapped his hands before all of their cellphones went off. “And sent,” Louis chimed. “We all have a copy of that picture now.”

“Definitely going as my new background,” Genji cackled as he started tapping on his screen. He rearranged some of the apps so that they formed a heart around Hanzo and McCree’s face. “Perfect.”

“Can I put it as my lockscreen?” McCree asked softly.

“Go ahead,” Hanzo smirked as she set the picture as her background. “Oh, hey, Gabriel’s biting Jack’s ear.”

“What?!” Louis shrieked as he checked the photo over again. “Gabriel, really?!”

Gabriel shrugged her shoulders innocently. “What can I say? He tastes good.”

Jack hid his face in his hands as everyone else started laughing.

* * *

 

“Wait, what?” Hanzo demanded.

“Get your shit packed,” Gabriel smirked as she tapped her spoon against her knuckle. “You’re coming with me to Zurich since my usual sniper is off on leave to visit her husband.”

The expression on Hanzo’s face was amazing. It was a mix between shocked and angry, but shocked seemed to be winning out.

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me this last night?” she demanded. “You’re leaving in like an hour!”

“Two,” Gabriel smirked. “You have plenty of time.”

McCree reached over to shake Hanzo’s shoulder. “Welcome to the A Team, Hanzo,” he chuckled. “I’d say the pay’s better, but that’s a bit of a lie.”

“High risk, high reward,” Lotus grumbled around her toast. “Better you than me.”

“You’re heading out too?” Hanzo asked as she shoved the jam over towards Lotus.

“Mission,” Lotus nodded as she slathered her toast in raspberry jam and jerked a thumb at Trice at the other end of the table. “With Mr. Smiles over there. I get to pretend to be his girlfriend for the next few weeks while we scope someone out for extraction. Lucky me.”

Hanzo smirked around her tea before she set to work finishing off her rice. “Hanger 2?” she asked as she stood up.

“Hanger 2,” Gabriel nodded.

Hanzo beat them all to the hanger, sitting off to the side with her headphones on and tapping her foot to the beat of a song. Ash glared at her, but kept his mouth shut as Gabriel whistled to get her attention. Jack smiled as he walked past, inclining his head as he continued on to the shuttle.

“Ana’s not coming?” Hanzo asked as she stood up, shouldering her duffle bag.

“Got called out to France,” Gabriel said. “There’s rumors of a hit out on one of our senior agents.”

“Joy,” Hanzo snorted before she braced herself.

Genji slammed into her from behind, shouting angrily in Japanese. Gabriel smirked as Hanzo easily shrugged her brother off, turning around to talk calmly to him. Genji glared at her, growling something else before he latched onto her front.

“You can’t take my sister,” he said sternly.

“Genji, as a commanding officer, I can,” Gabriel said.

“But…!”

“Enough,” Gabriel shook her head. “You’ll be busy running missions while we’re gone. You won’t even notice she’s missing.”

Genji tightened his hold on Hanzo and Gabriel thought she was going to have to get physical with him. Slowly, he relaxed his grip, shifting his hands to Hanzo’s and squeezing tightly. He murmured something softly in Japanese and Hanzo nodded. She hugged him tightly before she turned to follow Gabriel onto the shuttle.

“What was that about?” Ash demanded as she sat down.

“Separation anxieties,” Hanzo shrugged as she buckled herself into her seat. “It flares up worst when my departure catches him off guard.”

“He’s how old?” Ash curled his lip.

“Old enough to kick your ass for making fun of him,” Hanzo smiled sweetly. “He acts like a child, but he’s just as much of a killer as I am. Remember that the next time you want to attack his short-comings behind his back.”

“I can confirm that,” McCree smirked as he bumped her elbow. “Pretty terrifying seeing his armor splattered in blood and him not even acknowledging it.”

Gabriel smirked. She would have to keep that in mind. If Genji was as deadly as Hanzo claimed, she might just have to steal the other Shimada as well. Jack would be so pissed.

“Ash, back off,” she ordered. “We all have our issues.”

“Yes, Commander,” Ash relented, but his eyes never left Hanzo.

The flight to Zurich was quiet, all the passengers doing their own thing. Hanzo and McCree were listening to music on Hanzo’s phone and quietly arguing about the lyrics of a song; “I’m telling you, it’s just nonsense words”, “and I’m tellin’ ya that it’s not”. Ash had his chin resting on his chest and was either doing his best to look like he was sleeping or had actually fallen asleep. Jack was going over reports, one boot resting on the knee of the opposite leg. Gabriel was talking quietly with Vert, trying to figure out if they needed to raid headquarter’s medical supplies to restock his own.

It was a pleasant enough flight, but chaos erupted as soon as the shuttle touched down. Jack had barely set foot out of the shuttle when a crowd of protestors started roaring for his head. Gabriel glanced at McCree and shouldered a shotgun, striding after her lover as he struggled to reach the gates keeping the crowd from attacking the blue building glimmering in the late afternoon sun.

“Please, please just calm down,” Jack shouted as he tried to clear himself a path. “I know that you’re all concerned, but please understand that we’re doing everything we can.”

“We don’t need Overwatch!” someone shouted.

“Down with Overwatch! Down with Overwatch!” the crowd chanted, shaking their signs as Gabriel stormed ahead.

“Get out of the way!” she snarled as she put herself in front of Jack. “Move!”

“Come on, back up,” McCree shouted behind her. “Give us some space!”

“ _How is demanding the head of Overwatch’s leader going to help you?_ ” Hanzo demanded in German. Her accent was a little off, but that was likely from lack of use.

“Where’s security when you need it?” Gabriel growled as she continued pushing through the crowd.

Someone grabbed her arm and she twisted around to shove her shotgun in the man’s face. She growled and he scrambled backwards, blue eyes going wide in alarm. A gunshot ran out overhead and the crowd scattered with shouts of shock. Gabriel glared up at the guards on top of the gates, wondering why they hadn’t interfered sooner. The mob could have turned violent at a moment’s notice and she couldn’t wholesale slaughter a group of civilians without suffering repercussions.

She grabbed Jack’s elbow and hurried him along, her team watching their backs as they moved through the gates. She waited until the doors had shut firmly behind Ash before she rounded on the guards.

“What the FUCK was that?!” she demanded, jabbing a finger towards the crowd that was still screaming for Jack’s head. “Why the HELL were we allowed to walk through that?!”

“General Wu’s orders,” one of the guards bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Commander.”

“You would be if Jack had been attacked,” she growled before she turned around. “Come on; I have a few things to say to our boss.”

* * *

 

“Where the hell did that crowd come from?” Hanzo asked as McCree helped her settle into her temporary room. “I’ve never met a more hostile civilian force.”

“Lot of folks don’t like hearing about what Overwatch is doing,” McCree sighed a he ran a hand through his hair. “Particularly when they found out about Blackwatch.”

That had been a real shitshow. Jack had scrambled to play damage control, reassuring the populace that Blackwatch was no different than any other special operations unit under the control of any country’s government. Gabriel had even gone on record saying that all of her missions were sanctioned and approved by the United Nations before they even started collecting information. It had done little to reassure the world population, but it was a start.

“Ah,” she sighed and shook her head. “But why demand Jack’s head?”

“He’s Strike Commander; everyone always wants to go after the man on top,” McCree shrugged. He glanced at the door before he sidled up to her and nibbled on her ear. “You’re hot when you’re irritated.”

Hanzo let out a soft chuckle as she ran her hands up his stomach. “Uh huh; I might take you seriously if you didn’t say that about every mood I’m in.”

“What can I say? I just think you’re gorgeous, darlin’,” he smiled.

“Quite the charmer, aren’t you?” Hanzo shook her head in amusement.

Her hands slipped under his shirt and her thumbs ran over his abs. He shivered under her touch, grinning as she pressed up against him.

“I shouldn’t encourage you,” she mused as she lifted her head to kiss him. “Mmm, but I do like the outcome.”

“Oh, so do I,” he purred as he pulled her close, running a hand up under her shirt to caress her spine.

“Hate to interrupt, lovebirds,” Gabriel’s voice cut through their commlines. “But need you front and center. Big bosses want to meet my newest addition and he doesn’t feel like being kept waiting.”

McCree let out a long huff as Hanzo pulled away. “Continue later?”

“Continue later,” she smiled as she pushed her hair out of her face. “If you’re still up for it.”

“What are you implying?” McCree pouted.

“That you have the endurance of a drunken squirrel,” Hanzo teased.

“Hey!” McCree laughed before he tried to pull her back. “I expect an apology for that, darlin’!”

“Too bad,” Hanzo laughed as she easily ducked under his hand. “I don’t feel like apologizing just yet.”

McCree pouted and followed her out of the room. He’d better get an apology or he was going to sulk all night and hope it made her feel guilty.

* * *

 

Jack hovered protectively behind Hanzo as General Wu looked her over. Gabriel was leaning against the wall, her eyes never leaving the General even if her stance was loose and relaxed. Hanzo stood tall with her shoulders back, her eyes trained on the General with a neutral expression on her face. The model soldier.

“So, this is the infamous Hanzo Shimada,” General Wu said at last. “I was expecting someone taller.”

“That seems to be the first thing most people say,” Hanzo inclined her head. “It doesn’t get more insulting the more I hear it. It gets rather dull.”

General Wu narrowed his eyes. “Do not forget your rank, Shimada,” he said.

“I am aware of it, General,” Hanzo said. “I assumed that since you were speaking to me with such familiar terms that it was an invitation to do the same. I apologize for me indiscretion.”

“I see why Commander Reyes likes you,” General Wu shot Gabriel a glare. “Your attitude is very similar to hers.”

Gabriel smirked at him and shifted her stance slightly. “She’s good at what she does, General,” she said. “Helped us set off the downfall of the Shimada Clan’s underground empire.”

General Wu’s eyes snapped back to Hanzo. “You assisted with your family’s elimination?” he asked.

“My loyalties are with Overwatch,” Hanzo said. “The current head of the family has made it clear that he is unfit to lead. It is a privilege to watch his organization crumble around his feet.”

“Of course,” General Wu said. “And it has nothing to do with you swooping in to reclaim your birthright.”

Jack glanced at Gabriel and then at Hanzo. He shifted to the side, wanting to see her expression. He was surprised to see a wide smile playing across her lips.

“Oh, General Wu, you’re acting like I should be ashamed of desiring to have my home back,” Hanzo said sweetly. “The Shimada Clan and their empire are of no interest to me, but Shimada Castle is mine and I fully intend to take it back some time in the future. Surely you can understand that?”

General Wu nodded his head curtly. “Dismissed, agent.”

Hanzo saluted and turned to leave the room. She paused at the door, tilting her head to the side.

“How is Jonathon doing, General? He’s not still upset about me refusing his marriage proposal, is he?” she called over her shoulder.

General Wu went rigid. His eyes snapped to the back of Hanzo’s head and Jack saw a single bead of sweat roll down from his temple.

“I have no idea what you are talking about, agent,” he said through grit teeth.

“Hmm, must be another Solomon Wu then,” Hanzo clucked her tongue. “So sorry. My mistake.”

She left the room without another word, but Jack saw the fear glimmering in General Wu’s eyes. That was an interesting bit of information to file away for later. Gabriel shot him a look, lifting an eyebrow curiously.

‘Well, that’s interesting,’ her expression said.

‘Best keep our mouths shut,’ Jack replied as he inclined his head to the General and started towards the door.

‘Agreed,’ Gabriel smirked as she moved to follow him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to say this is the homestretch, but that's a bit of a lie. We have about eleven chapters left and it's still going to be a rollercoaster of emotions.
> 
> Next time I want to write a fanfiction this long, someone PLEASE slap me T-T


	25. Chapter 24

“So, we’re going to Germany?” Hanzo asked as she looked the mission notes over.

“We are,” Gabriel nodded as she pushed her locks out of her face. “Damn hair; where’d that fucking clip go?”

“By your elbow,” Hanzo pointed without looking up from the datapad.

“At least someone knows where my things get to,” Gabriel chuckled as she pinned her hair out of her face. “Lotus hasn’t checked in with me for a few days. It’s not a good sign; she never misses a check in regardless of her situation. Even if it’s just a text of ‘I fucked up’, she lets me know she’s still alive. Trice claims he hasn’t heard from her either and that is even worse considering they aren’t supposed to leave each other’s sight.”

“So we’re going in to find Lotus and confirm her status,” Hanzo glanced at McCree. “Think you can handle that, cowboy?”

“Darlin’, I’ve been doing shit like this since before you were twenty,” McCree grinned. “As easy as slipping on an old pair of jeans.”

Hanzo lifted an eyebrow in amusement before she scanned through the datapad again. “So we’re going to be pretending to be some hotshot millionaire and his newlywed wife?” she asked. “Whose idea was this?”

“Well, it was either that or try to get you to work with Ash,” Gabriel grinned wickedly. “I think we both know how that would have gone down.”

Hanzo grimaced and set the datapad down. Yah, she was not letting Ash get anywhere near her. Man could go jump off a cliff for all she cared.

“When do we leave?”

“Within the hour; it’s not a long flight to Berlin, but I want us there fast,” Gabriel said as she played with a curl that had gotten loose from the clip. “Every minute we waste getting our shit together is another minute one of my agents is missing. Get your gear and meet me on the tarmac. Punch the protestors in the face if they won’t let you pass.”

“Because that’ll go over really well with Jack,” Hanzo snorted with laughter. “I’m sure he’ll love that I punched a protestor so hard in the face we had to pay for their medical bills.”

“They shouldn’t be allowed near the fucking tarmac then,” Gabriel pushed herself to her feet. “Honestly, when they start getting in the way of me getting my job done, they’re not protesting anymore. They’re just being a fucking wall that I’m going to put my fist through.”

Hanzo shot McCree a look and he grinned. “Yah, I’m with the boss-lady on this one; pain in the fucking ass,” he said as he got to his feet. “Come on, darlin’; let’s go get our stuff.”

“And it begins,” Hanzo teased as she got to her feet. “I will let you know right now; you pinch my ass in public and I will knock you on yours.”

“I’ll try to keep my hands to myself,” McCree grinned as he followed her out of the briefing room. “But I make no promises.”

“Mhmm,” Hanzo mused as she headed for her room. “So, Mr. Kirkwall, what should your little Southern belle bring with her?”

“Well, Ms. Shishido isn’t a Southern belle for starters,” McCree grinned. “But, if I would be so bold, I’d say you pack a few guns and leave your bow behind.”

“Leave Storm Bow?” Hanzo demanded as she turned around to face McCree. “Are you out of your mind?!”

“When are you going to have a chance to use it?” McCree asked gently. “This is an undercover mission; running around with a massive bow and quiver of arrows is going to get you spotted immediately. I know you prefer your bow and I know that you are a damn good shot with it, but you can’t bring it with you on this one.”

Hanzo grit her teeth as she tried her best not to panic at the thought of not having Storm Bow on her going into a fight. He had never failed her; he didn’t get jammed like a gun did and she could always pull an arrow out of an enemy’s skull if she ran out of arrows in her quiver. She felt her legs turning to jelly under her and McCree quickly grabbed her.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he soothed as he held her close. “It’s gunna be okay. Gabe’s got some good firearms you can use. You like those little handcannons, right?”

Hanzo let out a soft laugh and nodded. “I do,” she murmured. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be; I did the same the first time Gabriel wouldn’t let me bring Peacekeeper with me on a mission,” McCree soothed, running his hand over her shoulder blades.

“You weren’t allowed to bring your gun on a mission?” Hanzo smirked.

“It was in Canada and they have really strict gun laws,” he sighed. “I was stuck in Vancouver with no gun hoping to hell that the other guy didn’t either.”

“How well did that go over?” Hanzo smirked.

“Surprisingly well; turns out the police really don’t like it when you walk around with a gun on your hip,” he grinned. “They arrested my target for me and Gabriel was able to get him transferred to the Watchpoint out in Saskatchewan somewhere.”

“That was a stroke of luck,” she smirked as she pulled away and laced their fingers together. “Let’s go get packed and then get me a few guns.”

“Sounds like a plan,” McCree smiled and kissed her.

It didn’t take them long to pack for a few days and have their body armor carefully hidden underneath. McCree showed her a few tricks to make the armor look inconspicuous in case they have to take a civilian plane back to Zurich. When everything was packed and Storm Bow was safely stowed away where no one could get at him, McCree took her to the armory.

She chose a small handgun from the storage, testing the weight in her hands and seeing how long it took her to load and cock it. When she was satisfied with her ability to handle it, McCree helped her pick out an appropriate holster for it. She grabbed one for around her chest and one that strapped to the inside of her thigh.

“Good for when you’re wearing a dress with a high seam,” McCree grinned. “Gabe can tell you how good it is.”

“I can bet,” Hanzo smirked as she snapped the safety on the gun and slipped it into the holster around her chest. “Let’s get going before Gabriel skins us.”

Gabriel led the way across the parking lot and up to the safehouse. She rapped her knuckles on the door, grimacing at the way it seemed to echo across the parking lot. Hanzo was fiddling with her handgun, glancing around uncomfortably as McCree lit a cigarillo. Trice finally opened the door after leaving them out in the open for far too long and Gabriel shouldered past him, growling as he glared at Hanzo.

“I need a sit rep,” she growled as she dropped her bag on the ground.

“Lotus and I were together four days ago scoping out our target,” Trice said after he locked the door. “She went out to scout something ahead of me, but she wasn’t at the rendezvous point when I got there. That was the last I’ve seen of her. Kruger said she checked in with him shortly after midnight, but he’s been avoiding my questions about where the hell she went.”

“Kruger?” Hanzo asked.

“Local intel rat,” McCree said as he took a deep drag of his smoke. “About as trustworthy as a fox in the henhouse, but he has yet to not give us useful information.”

Gabriel ran her tongue over her teeth. “Okay, Jesse and Hanzo will take over following the target. Trice, I want you to track Kruger down and get his ass either in the safehouse or in another safe location,” she ordered.

“Right,” Trice rubbed at his face. “I’ll see what I can do.”

McCree led Hanzo into the safehouse and showed her where she could drop her things. They started planning their night, grumbling amongst themselves as they got their stories straight so that they didn’t screw up in the middle of their watch. Gabriel pulled out her phone and called Jack, ticking her fingers as she waited for him to pick up.

“Should you be calling me?” Jack asked as he answered.

“Have I ever cared?” Gabriel smirked as she leaned against the wall. “Need to hear your voice. Forgot to grab a shirt on the way out.”

“Oh,” Jack chuckled. She heard him shifting on the other end of the phone and closed her eyes. “Well, I’d send you one if it didn’t take forever.”

“Your voice will do for now,” she said. “And maybe one of my shirts will smell like your cologne.”

“It will if it was anywhere near mine in the last few days,” Jack agreed. “You worried?”

“Very,” she murmured as she rubbed her eyes. “I’m not holding out too much hope. Lotus not checking in screams trouble.”

“Want me to monitor things from my end?” he asked. “Just in case?”

“If you could do that, that would be amazing,” Gabriel chuckled. “I miss you. Fuck, I should be used to this by now.”

“Miss you too, Gabe,” Jack chuckled softly. “I’ll see you soon. Come home safe.”

“The Angel of Death will have to drag me to Hell before I leave you behind,” Gabriel smiled. “And I’ll refuse to pay the boatman.”

“I’ll hold you to it,” Jack laughed. “Love you, Gabriel.”

“Love you too, Jack,” she crooned before hanging up. She lifted an eyebrow at Hanzo and McCree. “Heading out to get dolled up for the party?” she asked.

“Yup,” McCree stuck his thumbs through his belt loops. “Not that Naomi here needs it,” he shot Hanzo a wide grin and she rolled her eyes.

“Yes, Clarence, as you have said every time I go to get my makeup done,” Hanzo teased.

“Keep him on a short leash,” Gabriel warned. “One drink, that’s it. I need you bright eyed at all times.”

“I will be good,” McCree promised as he pressed his hat to his chest. “Promise.”

“Mmmhmm, like how you behaved in Budapest?” Gabriel smirked.

“Hey, that was totally Ash’s fault!” McCree whined.

Gabriel shook her head. “Watch him like a hawk.”

“I intend to,” Hanzo said as she slipped her arm through McCree’s and fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Let’s get going, sweetheart.”

“I have unleashed a monster onto the world,” Gabriel teased as they left the safehouse.

* * *

 

“Howdy,” McCree greeted the stunned looking woman behind the counter of the boutique they walked into. “You got time to help two specialty cases out?”

“German, darling,” Hanzo teased as she rested her cheek on his arm.

“No, no, I can speak English,” the woman smiled at Hanzo before looking back at McCree. “But I am unsure what you mean by ‘specialty cases’.”

“Well, see, we got this party to go to tonight, but our luggage with all of our fine clothing got lost somewhere in transit,” McCree shook his head sadly. “Now, I’m sure no one would say anything if my beautiful wife walked in wearing what she is, but they’d turn their nose up at my old things.”

“I think you look lovely in plaid,” Hanzo pouted as she reached up to run her thumb over his cheek.

McCree turned to grin at her, leaning forward to share a chaste kiss. “You say the sweetest things, darlin’,” he purred.

He glanced at the woman behind the counter and was satisfied with the look on her face. She smiled as Hanzo ran her nose slowly over McCree’s shoulder and motioned for them to follow her.

“Do you have a colour in mind?” she asked.

“Well, I’m partial to black,” McCree grinned. “Naomi likes blue, but I think she would look good in a long red gown.”

“Red?” Hanzo chuckled and flicked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Clarence, I thought you didn’t want all eyes on me.”

“Darlin’, we both know everyone’s going to be looking at you anyways; may as well make their jaws drop,” he winked.

A faint blush spread across Hanzo’s face and she shook her head. “Charmer.”

“So, red?” the woman asked with a smile.

“Red,” Hanzo agreed. “And make sure he gets a tie that doesn’t look like something a five-year-old would wear; he’s partial to them.”

McCree touched a hand to his chest. “Darlin’, you wound me,” he said with a smile.

“You’ll get over it,” Hanzo winked before she let herself be led to a different part of the store.

McCree spent the rest of the afternoon being fitted for a tuxedo, trying not to think about all the things he’d rather be doing. He caught sight of Hanzo on occasion, the numerous staff members marvelling over her hair or clapping as she tried on a new dress. He wasn’t sure if she was enjoying herself, but the flirtatious wink she’d throw over her shoulder if she caught sight of him went straight to his loins. He was surprised he hadn’t poked someone’s eye out.

The hairstylist almost threw a fit as she tried to work with his hair, begging him to let her cut it. He declined each time, smirking and saying that he liked his shaggy locks. The stylist whined before she simply washed it and trimmed it a little in the back so that it was easier to manage. She strictly forbade him from putting his hat on, but he knew that he would as soon as he was out of the shop.

He wasn’t overly fond of having makeup put on him; more because it was a pain in the ass to get off afterwards; but he had to admit that he did look sharp with a bit of concealer on. He admired himself in the mirror, joking with the man that was putting his makeup away that he should wear lipstick.

“You know, cover my wife in bright red lip marks all over her neck,” he snickered.

“Don’t think she’d like that,” the man smirked. “Seems like the kind that would be humiliated by even the barest exposure of a hicky.”

“Eh, she’d love it,” he laughed. “It washes right off and she’d know I’m only doing it to be silly. She does love me, bless her heart.”

The man smirked and turned away. “Lucky woman.”

 _‘You have no idea,’_ McCree thought as he headed for the front of the store to pay for everything.

He stopped dead in his tracks and gawked at Hanzo. “Holy shit,” he breathed as he stepped forward. “Darlin’…holy shit.”

Hanzo smiled, showing off her fangs as she shifted her hips. The red dress hugged her body, showing off a bit of cleavage while still looking stunningly formal. It seemed to sparkle in the light, but that might have been tears in his eyes at how beautiful she looked. The hem of the dress rose up to her mid-thigh, giving her more than enough room to move if she needed to get at her gun or chase someone. He was a little disappointed she wasn’t in heels, but he supposed shattered ankles and high heels didn’t mix very well.

Minami was covered with a lot of make-up; no doubt a request so that noone would immediately recognize her because of her distinctive ink; but Kita was left to climb and curl around Hanzo’s neck. A necklace of diamonds hung around her neck, shimmering in the lights overhead. Sapphires hung from her ears like fat teardrops, trembling with every little movement she made.

Whoever had done her make-up had done a phenomenal job of it. It wasn’t overly complex, but he knew that there was a lot of work put into it. Blue eyeshadow and black eyeliner made her eyes stand out; he didn’t know if she was wearing mascara, but her eyelashes certainly seemed longer. A pale pink lipstick had been applied to her lips, softening them a little bit and he wanted nothing more than to kiss it off of her. Her cheekbones had been accentuated, adding to her already regal appearance.

Finally, her hair had been combed back into a thick braid and left to hang down her back. Two long bangs had been carefully curled and left to hang on either side of her face.

“Hot damn, darlin’,” McCree whispered as he cupped her face in his hands. “You clean up good.”

“I should hope so with the amount of time and effort the staff put into me,” Hanzo laughed before she kissed him. “Mmm, and you look like a stunning piece of work, _anata_.”

“Well, I do cut a fine figure in a tux,” McCree agreed as he cocked his hip and pretended to loop his fingers around his belt.

Hanzo turned a shade of pink before she motioned for him to go pay for everything. He leaned down and kissed her one more time before going to pay for the boutique’s services. He offered Hanzo his arm as they left, walking her across the parking lot to where the vehicle was waiting for them. It was a little too distinctive for his liking, but one Clarence Kirkwall wouldn’t skimp on anything, expensive car included.

“I don’t think I ever mentioned that it’s weird you don’t know how to drive stick,” McCree commented as they climbed into the car. “I mean, you were rich, right?”

“I lived in Hanamura, Jesse,” Hanzo scoffed. “Where was I going to drive? The ramen shop just down the road?”

“Hey, could have gone on day trips somewhere,” he laughed as he started the drive to the party.

“We had servants to drive us around,” Hanzo replied as she popped the glovebox open and pulled their guns and earpieces out. She fitted her own into her ear before reaching across the seat to attach McCree’s. “Gabriel, you there?”

“You bet,” Gabriel replied. “I want a picture of the two of you to show Jack when we get back to Zurich. Show him what his pup and sister look like when they’re dressed to the nines.”

“I’ll make sure to take lots of pictures of Hanzo for you,” McCree teased. “So, what’s the main objective here?”

“Well, the target was just spotted heading into the event. Lots of paparazzi, so make sure to smile, and don’t let anyone catch sight of your piece,” Gabriel said.

“Damn it,” McCree groaned. “Always gotta hide the gun in these European countries.”

“They can’t all be as lax with their gun laws as the States are, Jesse,” Gabriel laughed. “Now stop bitching long enough for me to explain what I want you to do.”

“Alright, alright,” McCree grumbled as he let Hanzo fit his holster around his hips and tuck it carefully into his pants and under his shirt.

“Target is wearing a black tux and red undershirt; ugly shoes though. Who the fuck wears gray with a suit like that? Ugh. Looking for a dark skinned man in his late forties; graying black hair, missing his right front tooth. I want you to bring him in alive, McCree; this is an extraction, not an assassination.”

“Bring him in alive; I think I can handle that,” McCree smirked as he hung a left. “How’s Trice handling his job?”

“Tracking him down now,” Gabriel replied. “I’ll be here if you need me. Don’t forget who you are; Hanzo, that’s double for you. I don’t know if any Shimadas have been invited, but if you spot anyone familiar, keep your head down. I’m not losing anyone from my personal team.”

“Understood, Reyes,” Hanzo replied.

McCree pulled into the lane heading into the event and leaned over to take Hanzo’s hand. He brought it up to his mouth, smiling at her as she took a deep breath.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Time to put those social skills to use,” she smiled as she laced their fingers together. “Let’s do this.”

McCree smiled before he climbed out of the car and pushed a few American dollars into the valet’s hand. “Don’t scratch the paint,” he teased before he walked around to help Hanzo out. “Put yer biggest smile on, darlin’,” he said as he heard cameras flashing behind them. “They’re going to love your pretty face.”

Hanzo smiled as she looped her arm through his and leaned happily against him. Her eyes took on a sultry look as they started walking and people gasped in awe as they walked up the stairs to the event. The paparazzi pressed in close, shouting in a number of different languages for Hanzo to look their way.

McCree grinned down at her as she turned her head slowly towards the closest group of photographers and winked at them. She lifted her chin as they walked into the hall, smirking as the photographers went wild over the shots they had taken.

“Well, you made their day,” McCree teased.

“That was for your boss,” she teased back as she pulled their forged invitations out of her purse and handed them to the bouncer.

Once the bouncer confirmed that they were on the list, they were gestured into the main event. McCree let out a low whistle as he looked around, grinning at all the people and the tables set aside for gambling, drinking, smoking, and anything else the rich and famous could desire.

“Well, this is going to be fun,” he murmured as he walked towards the bar. “Drink?”

“Keep your wits about you, _anata_ ,” Hanzo said gently. “There are Shimadas here.”

“Where?” he asked as he leaned on the bar and waited for the bartender to notice them.

“Near the exits,” Hanzo said. “I do not think they recognize me, but I will be quiet just to be sure.”

“Oh?” McCree grinned at her. “That’s a little difficult for you, darlin’.”

Hanzo’s eyes flashed with warm amusement as she rested her cheek on his shoulder. “Thank you for the vote of confidence, _anata_. I’ll remember that in the future.”

“Oops,” McCree teased before he ordered a whiskey on the rocks and a flute of champagne for Hanzo.

He turned with the glass in his hand and scanned the room for somewhere to sit down. He spotted two open seats at the blackjack table and headed towards it. Hanzo followed beside him, playing the part of young socialite very well. They might just pull this off.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When one of your most top notch agents who always checks in on time doesn't check in, you know somethings up. Here comes the cavalry in wonderful party attire.


	26. Chapter 25

“You boys expecting anyone?” McCree asked as he leaned on one of the spare chairs at the blackjack table.

“We aren’t,” one of the men grinned, showing a few crooked teeth. “Pull yourself up a seat, stranger.”

McCree pulled Hanzo’s chair out first, smiling as she sat down elegantly and sat straight backed in her chair. The men stared at her as McCree took his seat, more than one’s eyes darting down to her cleavage. She sipped her champagne quietly before she looked at the table.

“How do you play?” she asked as she set her drink down.

“Well, little lady,” one man grinned around his cigar; McCree almost reached down to grip Hanzo’s knee when he saw her shoulders tense, “the point of the game is to get as close to a value of twenty-one on two cards without going over. You win if your hand is better than the dealers. Fairly simple rules, really. Face cards are worth ten, along with the ace, and the numbered cards are worth the amount shown.”

“Sounds simple enough,” Hanzo agreed before she fished some money out of her wallet. “Clarence, do you want me to buy the chips or…?”

“If you’re feelin’ eager, go right ahead, darlin’,” McCree smiled before he glanced at the man with the cigar. “Now where can a man get one of those?”

The man grinned before tossing one to him. “On the house,” he said, “for bringing such a lovely lady to play.”

Hanzo kept her eyes on the dealer as he counted out a number of different coloured chips for her and McCree. McCree knew that she wanted to stab the man and was thankful that she had chosen to leave her knives behind in the safehouse. Lotus got the exact same way when people got far too patronizing.

“Think of an excuse to look around,” Gabriel hissed in his ear. “Trice fucked up and I don’t have access to a lot of the camera feeds. What the fuck do I pay you people for?”

McCree turned the cigar slowly as he waved his lighter under it. He took a deep drag and held the smoke in his mouth for a moment, savouring the rich taste, before he leaned his head back and released a stream of smoke. He cast a curious look around at the other tables and smirked as Gabriel cursed in his ear; “slower, you asshole”.

“Lotta folks here,” he commented.

“These events get bigger every year,” one old man sighed wistfully as the dealer started shuffling the deck. “Always new blood hoping to make connections.”

“Isn’t that the point of business?” Hanzo asked sweetly as she placed a blue chip on the table, matching the man next to her.

“The point of a business is to make money, little lady,” the man snorted. “Most of these whelps wouldn’t know what it took to make real money; they’d rather siphon it off the coattails of someone else.”

“Oh,” Hanzo pouted and McCree felt his loins tremble with want.

Damn was she good at this. She looked so sweet and innocent that even he forgot that she could probably kill a man with nothing more than a pen. Even Gabriel, who had been doing this for years, still managed to look like she was three seconds away from ripping your throat out when she smiled.

“Gotta admit, I was in the same frame of mind as my snapdragon,” McCree said as he rested his hand on the small of Hanzo’s back. “Figured this get-together was a good place to forge some connections. Never know when you need a friend in the right field, ya know what I’m saying?”

The man with the cigar chuckled. “I’m sure someone as charming as you won’t have any problems with that, Mr…?”

“Kirkwall,” McCree grinned as he leaned across the table to offer his flesh hand. “Clarence Kirkwall. This lovely lady is Naomi Shishido, my one and only love in this dark, dark world.”

“You do love to wax romantic, _anata_ ,” Hanzo chuckled before she flipped her cards to show what she had. “Well, would you look at that?”

Hanzo smirked as she collected her chips from the table, fluttering her eyelashes at the man with the cigar as he almost chewed it in half. He clearly hadn’t thought she was going to be dealt that good of a hand.

“Beginner’s luck,” McCree teased.

“Mmm,” Hanzo smirked before she leaned over and kissed him. “Target’s moving around the table on the left,” she whispered in his ear as they rubbed their noses together.

“You say the sweetest things,” McCree smiled.

“So, Miss Shishido,” the old man asked, leaning forward, “how did you stumble across Mr. Kirkwall?”

“Blind date,” Hanzo giggled. “My friends were sick of watching me be alone, so they phoned up an agency and asked to send someone tall, dark, and dangerous.” She grinned mischievously at McCree and covered her mouth. “They hit one out of three at least; Clarence is definitely tall.”

“Lovely,” McCree laughed. “I fall head over heels at the first sight of you in that restaurant and you make fun of me.”

“Oh, _anata_ , you know I love you,” Hanzo cooed as she reached up to cup his cheek.

“Must have hooked up recently,” a dark skinned man growled. “Still all lovey-dovey. Trust me; that’ll be over with soon enough.”

Hanzo said something in Japanese and smiled sweetly at the man. Gabriel typed something on her end, mumbling about her Japanese being shit. She let out a sharp snort of laughter before she tried to muffle it through her hand.

“Hanzo, I love you,” she laughed. “I have to write that down for later. Where the hell is my pen?”

Hanzo placed a chip on the table and glanced at McCree. McCree snagged a chip from the pile in front of her and placed it on the table next to hers. He saw a few men exchange looks, but he ignored it in favour of puffing on his cigar.

They played a few more rounds, Hanzo somehow managing to win each hand. They both glanced at each other in confusion after the fourth time it happened. She refused to play after that, eyeing the dealer mistrustfully as she sipped on her champagne. When McCree won the next two hands, he knew something was up. He glanced at Hanzo and politely excused themselves, leaving the chips on the table.

“That wasn’t natural,” he grumbled.

“My money is on that dealer being with the Shimadas,” she growled in agreement. “They know how to make the cards land where they want.”

They settled down at a different table, easily folding themselves into the conversation. Their new seats gave them a better view of the room and an almost direct line of sight with the target’s head. Hanzo talked eagerly with another woman at the table, the both of them giggling about how long it took them to get their hair done. McCree watched Hanzo in between puffs of his cigar and the occasional bad joke with one of the men at the table.

The target started moving towards the washroom and McCree carefully stubbed his cigar out in the ashtray. He kissed Hanzo’s cheek, smiling as he promised to be right back. He started towards the washroom, watching the target enter. He was running through a list of things he could do to subdue the target when the doors exploded off of the washroom.

He was hit with the shockwave and knocked flat on his back. His earpiece screeched static and he was half-tempted to tear it out. He blinked at the ceiling as screams slowly started filtering through the white noise. He slowly tried to sit up, groaning as he felt familiar hands pressing against his back.

“This isn’t good,” Hanzo hissed in his ear. “You okay?”

“Let you know when the ringing stops,” McCree groaned as he stared at the smoke billowing out of the men’s washroom. “Fuck. Target’s not getting out of that.”

Hanzo flicked a strand of hair behind her ear, gently pressing on the piece of plastic. “Reyes, what do you want us to do?” she asked softly.

“Get out of there; I’ll get a clean-up crew to…. Oh fuck. GET DOWN!”

McCree grabbed Hanzo and yanked her down just in time for them to avoid getting shot. Screams started filling the air as angry Japanese swears started being thrown around.

“Think the Shimadas figured out who you were,” McCree growled as he pushed himself to his feet. “We need to run.”

“Left,” Hanzo ordered as she pulled her handgun out.

McCree dodged left and she shot the man that had shot at her right between the eyes. His head exploded from the impact, showering the wall behind him in blood and gray matter. McCree smirked at Hanzo and pulled Peacekeeper out.

“Boss, directions to the closest exit would be appreciated,” he said as he shot another Shimada goon before he could pull his gun out.

“Roof’s the best bet; get up through the door behind the bar. I’ll see what I can do from here. Fucking hell that went to shit fast.”

“Let’s move,” McCree shouted as he bolted for the bar. “Darlin’, you better be right behind me!”

* * *

 

Hanzo tied the long skirt of her dress around her legs, creating a pair of shorts for herself so she wasn’t tripping over it. She charged after McCree, firing behind her to keep Itsuki’s goons off of them. McCree vaulted the bar ahead of her and she jumped, sliding across the surface on her hip, and landed heavily on her toes.

“Show off,” McCree laughed as he shouldered the door open and charged through.

“I’ll teach you how to do that sometime, cowboy,” Hanzo promised as they burst through another set of doors and started the mad dash up the stairs. “Reyes, there isn’t an elevator, right?”

“Not one that I can see in the blueprints,” Gabriel replied. “Just keep going; only three flights of stairs.”

“What’re we doing when we get to the roof?” McCree demanded.

“Jumping.”

“Are you serious?!”

“Calm down, I was kidding. There’s a fire escape you can use. Keep to the side alleys.”

“What about the car?” Hanzo asked.

“What car?” Gabriel asked sweetly.

“Okay,” Hanzo shook her head as McCree slammed his shoulder into the door and groaned when it didn’t open.

“Gun up,” McCree ordered as he lifted his foot and slammed it hard against the door right below the handle.

The door busted open, hanging off of its hinges from the force of the impact. Hanzo followed McCree out onto the roof, scanning the area. She spotted a pinprick of red in the distance before she bolted.

“Sniper!”

“Fuck!” McCree shouted as he charged after her, the sniper’s bullets peppering the ground behind them. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

“Your grasp of the English language is amazing,” Hanzo shouted over her shoulder as she grabbed the side of the building and hauled herself down onto the fire escape. “Move, Jesse!”

McCree dropped down heavily beside her, grunting from the impact. They scrambled down the steps, jumping off the last landing, and rolling across the ground. They headed for the alley, darting across the road while horns blared and sirens roared behind them. They crouched behind a dumpster and reloaded their guns.

“Well, that wasn’t how I hoped the evening would go,” McCree said.

“Still going to end with sex if we get out of this alive,” Hanzo smirked.

“Still here,” Gabriel laughed.

“That was the point,” Hanzo teased. “Best way back to…hang on.”

She stepped out from behind the dumpster and shot the man that had been trying to sneak towards them. She snorted as she ducked back down, sharing a smirk with McCree.

“Anyways, what’s the best way back to the safehouse?”

“I just got an update from Trice; he had to tag and bag Kruger and hole him up in another safehouse,” Gabriel said. “I need information out of him and I don’t trust Trice with this one.”

“So you want me to torture the guy,” McCree grimaced. “Lovely.”

“Move, McCree,” Gabriel ordered. “It’s the safehouse on the south side. You know how to get there.”

“That I do,” McCree sighed. “Come on; got a lot of ground to cover if we want to get to the safehouse before Trice kills our contact.”

“ _Come out with your hands up_ ,” someone snarled in Japanese.

McCree shot her a look and Hanzo grimaced. That wasn’t good. She peeked over the lid of the dumpster, counted way too many men, and ducked back down.

“Don’t think we have a choice here, _anata_ ,” she grumbled.

“I get shot for complying and I’m haunting your ass for the rest of your life!” McCree shouted as he lifted his hands over his head and slowly stood up.

Hanzo followed suit, keeping her hands where they could be seen. The man in front of the group was shockingly familiar and she did not bother hiding her smirk. Itsuki must have been desperate to reclaim his power if he was sending his bastard brother out of the country. He must have been hoping to appeal to a younger group of millionaires if he sent someone as deplorable as Iwao.

“Guns on the ground,” Iwao ordered. “Kick them over.”

Hanzo translated for McCree and he grimaced as he set Peacekeeper on the ground. He gave his precious gun a good kick, sending it spinning across the concrete. Hanzo did the same, eyeing Iwao as she rested her hands against the back of her head.

“Itsuki must be desperate,” she said as Iwao walked towards her. “He’s sending his bastard brother out to blow up buildings.”

Iwao backhanded her with a snarl. “You should show me proper respect, Overwatch whore,” he snarled. “Your life is in my hands now.”

“And what meaty hands you have,” she sneered at him. “Hitting up that disgusting delicatessens shop, Iwao?”

He backhanded her again, jabbing his finger in McCree’s face. “Keep your whore in check,” he snarled.

“I don’t understand a word you’re saying, pardner,” McCree growled. “But if you slap her again, ain’t nowhere on God’s green Earth you can hide.”

“Ignorant American dog,” Iwao snarled. “I should put a bullet through your brain right now and save the world from your stupidity.”

“Amazing how bold a bastard gets when his big brother suddenly has power,” Hanzo smiled around a split lip. She spat a mouthful of blood onto the concrete and worried the wound with her tongue. “What happened to the sweet little boy that used to hide behind Itsuki’s leg? Or did you eat him too?”

Iwao’s hand wrapped around her throat and she gagged as her windpipe was squeezed shut. His black eyes were blazing with fury, but Hanzo just grinned at him as she struggled for air. Kita and Minami were snarling inside of her, begging for a chance to be unleashed to defend her.

“You are a stupid woman,” Iwao snarled.

“I’m a Shimada,” Hanzo managed to wheeze. “A dragon fears nothing.”

A wave of confusion passed over Iwao’s face and he let her go. “You are no dragon,” he growled and jabbed at Kita’s neck. “There are none alive that can control the dragons. They are all dead.”

“Not all,” Hanzo said as she rubbed at her neck. She coughed and shook her head, trying to clear the black dots out of her vision. “Would you like me to show you, Iwao?”

Iwao’s eyes grew greedy and he stepped back. “Yes; show me these supposed dragons, whore.”

Hanzo smiled as she placed her hands on the top of her head. It would not be easy to summon them without a weapon, but she was more than capable of doing so.

“ _Ryuu ga waga teki wo kurau!_ ” she shouted.

She curled her hands into claws and brought her arms down violently. Kita and Minami tore through the ether with monstrous roars. They shredded Iwao to pieces, dragging his carcass along behind them as they bore down on the other clan goons. Hanzo stumbled into McCree, holding onto his shoulder as she watched the chaos.

Kita and Minami slaughtered everything in their path, tearing limbs from bodies and throwing them savagely around. Blood coated the ground and the stench of ruptured bowels permeated the air.

“Still stand by what I said a hundred times at this point,” McCree mused as he walked over to Peacekeeper and spun it in his hand. “Those two are terrifying.”

“They’re dragons; they aren’t meant to be pets,” Hanzo smirked as she fished a set of car keys out of Iwao’s pockets. “You drive; I can barely stand,” she added as she tossed him the keys.

“Need me to carry you?” he asked as he handed her gun over.

“I should make it to the car,” she smiled. “But thanks for the offer.”

“Anytime, darlin’,” McCree smiled. “Those two done?”

“No,” Hanzo frowned. “Odd.”

They glanced at each other before McCree hit the horn button on the keyfob. The loud blaring directed them to a line of cars parked behind the event hall and to a non-descript black car. McCree turned the horn off before unlocking the car. Just as Hanzo was about to climb into the car, Kita dropped a severed head on the ground beside her.

“Well,” Hanzo glanced at the terrified man’s face, “they found that sniper.”

“Like a dog bringing back a duck,” McCree chuckled as Minami curled around his neck. “Uh, I ain’t stealing him from you, right?”

“Nope,” she laughed as she climbed into the car. “He just likes you.”

“Good to know,” McCree shook his head as he climbed into the car and started it. “Fancy ass car. What is with rich people and not just buying something decent?”

“Have to spend the money on something,” Hanzo shrugged as she buckled herself in. She rested her head against the back of her seat and breathed in deeply. “Wake me when we get to the safehouse.”

“Will do,” McCree said before he backed out of the parking space and headed for the Southside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How rude; the Shimada Clan can't even let their heir enjoy one party before swooping in and blowing the place up. At least Kita and Minami got a good meal out of it.


	27. Chapter 26

Hanzo blinked awake as McCree kissed along her jaw. She chuckled and pushed his face away, stretching her arms over her head.

“Aw, you don’t like my wake-up call?” McCree pouted.

“Mmm,” she smiled at him as she undid her seatbelt. “It was not what I was expecting.” She paused and blinked at Minami as he lifted his head from McCree’s shoulder. “Why are you still here?” she demanded.

Minami tilted his head before burying his nose in McCree’s shirt. She lifted her hands in defeat and climbed out of the car. Her guardians were acting so weird around McCree. He wasn’t going anywhere; they could calm down a little bit.

She heard McCree give a confused shout and glanced over in time to watch Minami wiggle into the flesh of his left arm. Her eyebrows rose in surprise as McCree scrambled out of the car and pointed at his arm.

“Uh?!”

“Don’t look at me,” she said, lifting her hands. “They’re acting really weird lately.”

“Well, ain’t that just peachy,” he grumbled as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Come on; house’s around the block here.”

She followed him at a sedated pace, her legs still feeling like lead weights. The nap had helped a little, but she knew that she was going to sleep like a stone as soon as her head hit the pillow. So much for what she had planned for her and McCree tonight; she would be lucky if she managed to get the damn dress off.

McCree took the steps up to the house two at a time and knocked loudly on the door. They waited a minute before Trice cracked the door open just enough to spot them. He snorted and closed the door, unlocking it fully before letting them in.

“Took your sweet time getting here,” he growled as they stepped inside.

“Got hold up by some charming Japanese men,” McCree said. “Where’s Kruger?”

“Upstairs bitching about the broken nose I gave him,” Trice rolled his eyes. “He’s in a biotic field and he’s all patched up, but he’s still acting like it’s the end of the world.”

“Wonderful,” Hanzo sighed as she started up the stairs.

She wasn’t sure what she was expecting from someone named Kruger, but the five-foot-three blond man tied to a chair was certainly not one of them. He looked like he had lived a rough life, his skin wrinkled and his blond hair thinning around the crown of his head. He was missing half of his nose, breathing heavily through one nostril as he glared at them.

“The fuck is this shit?” the man snarled. “Gabriel’ll have your heads for this, you hear me?”

“We’re here because Gabriel told us to be,” McCree said as he pulled a chair up to sit in front of Kruger. “We wouldn’t have to drag you around if you gave us straight answers, Kruger.”

“You Blackwatch guys are all full of yourselves,” Kruger snapped, spitting at McCree’s shoes. “Act like your hot shit when you’re no better than crooks.”

“Says the man currently tied to a chair,” Trice snarled. “Boss, why don’t you let me zap him?”

“Because you have a higher chance of killing him and I want him alive,” Gabriel’s voice snapped through an antique looking radio. “Kruger, I need information and you’re holding back on me. That puts you in a very dangerous situation. I don’t like getting fucked around.”

“Not unless it’s from that pretty blondie of yours,” Kruger sneered. “Didn’t think you’d like someone that spineless.”

Gabriel was silent on the other end of the radio, but her fury was palpable. Hanzo glanced over at the tools laid out beside the radio and picked up a powerdrill.

“Are we paying for his medical?” Hanzo asked as she squeezed the trigger on the drill.

“There should be enough biotic fields there to keep him from dying; why?” Gabriel growled.

“I know of a few ways to get him to talk,” she said sweetly.

“Flashing your tits isn’t going to help with him,” Trice snorted.

Hanzo flipped Trice off. Because that was totally on the list of torture techniques she knew. Asshole.

“Have at ‘er,” Gabriel snorted. “Just keep him alive.”

“Jesse, lift his leg,” Hanzo ordered as she walked over to the tied man. “Boss, ask your question.”

“Ooh, someone is being assertive,” Gabriel chuckled. “Kruger, where is Lotus?”

“Don’t know who you’re talking about,” Kruger growled.

His voice was not as firm as it was before. He was eyeing the powerdrill in Hanzo’s hand and swallowed as McCree lifted his leg onto his thigh. Hanzo pressed the drillbit against Kruger’s knee and looked him dead in the eye.

“Where is Lotus?” she asked.

“Fuck you,” Kruger spat.

Hanzo lifted an eyebrow before she squeezed the trigger. She pushed down on the powerdrill, not flinching as Kruger screamed in agony as she drilled through his kneecap. He thrashed in his bindings, sobbing and begging her to stop, but she could barely hear it over the whine of the powerdrill.

She pulled the drillbit out slowly, tutting at the blood and bone that was caked onto it. “That’s not the answer we wanted,” she said as she waved for McCree to drop the leg.

“You crazy bitch!” Kruger sobbed. “That’s my fucking leg! How’m I gunna stand?!”

“That’s the point; it’s called capping,” Hanzo replied before she set the drill down and picked up a pair of tweezers. “Be happy I only chose to cripple one leg and not both.”

“Fucking crazy bitch,” Kruger wailed. “McCree, buddy, pal, you get where I’m coming from, right? Guy’s gotta keep some secrets.”

“Not where one of our agents is concerned,” McCree growled. “It ain’t like her to go radio silent for this long. Where is she, Kruger?”

“Come on, we don’t gotta do this,” Kruger looked at them desperately.

“Do teeth grow back in a biotic field?” Hanzo asked.

“No; sort of like amputated bone,” McCree replied. “Need me to hold his mouth open?”

“I should be able to handle it,” Hanzo smiled as she turned around.

She kissed McCree’s cheek before straddling Kruger’s lap. She grabbed his jaw, forcing her thumb and index fingers into his cheeks to wrench his mouth open. Kruger shook his head rapidly, sobbing and screaming for her to stop. She stuck the pliers in his mouth and clamped them around a back molar.

“Where is Lotus?” she asked.

“Please,” Kruger whimpered around the pliers. “Please, don’t.”

She gave a few experimental tugs, eyeing Kruger as he let out a long whimper of pain. He shook his head, still begging as she changed her grip and started slowly pulling the molar.

“I don’t know where she is!” Kruger screamed. “Please! You have to believe me! She got in contact with me four days ago, that was the last time I heard from her, I swear!”

“Hanzo, back off,” Gabriel ordered.

Hanzo removed the pliers from Kruger’s mouth and settled back in McCree’s lap. He wrapped an arm around her waist and nuzzled her neck, eyeing Kruger as he sobbed. Hanzo did her best to look neutral even as she longed to make Kruger scream a little bit more. She’d forgotten the thrill that came with an interrogation of this manner.

“You are a terrifying woman,” McCree murmured. “That was the calmest I’ve ever seen a new agent go in for a tooth pull.”

“This isn’t my first time in an interrogation room,” Hanzo smirked.

“Kruger, did Lotus tell you where she was going?” Gabriel demanded.

“She…she said somewhere safe,” he sniffled. “She said there was someone after her and she couldn’t trust anyone. Told me to keep my mouth shut or it’d be her death.”

“We haven’t heard from her in four days, Kruger; she’d likely already dead,” Gabriel sighed. “Pop another biotic field. Trice, let him go when he’s all healed up. McCree, Hanzo, I want you to get changed and start scouting the other safehouses. Lotus is smart; she’ll bury herself under a heap of shit before she lets herself be found easy.”

“Got it,” McCree nodded before he got to his feet, pulling Hanzo up with him. “Come on; there’s probably some spare clothing around here somewhere.”

* * *

 

“Last one,” McCree grumbled as he puffed on a cigarillo. “If she’s not here, I don’t know where the hell she’s buried herself.”

Hanzo let out a low grunt of agreement before she got out of the car. McCree followed her up the sidewalk to the house. He pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door.

The interior smelt of mould and filth; it was probably one of the oldest safehouses in the city and was rarely ever touched. He grimaced as he walked in, flicking the flashlight app on his phone to its highest setting so he didn’t trip over anything. The floor had been swept recently; not a good sign.

“Gun out,” McCree whispered as he pulled Peacekeeper out of its holster. “Might have company.”

Hanzo let out a soft grunt as she pressed herself against the wall. It was strange seeing her with a handgun, but it was something he could get used to. She certainly looked impressive with the weapon in her hands. She looked impressive with just about any weapon, but he had a fondness for guns and seeing her hold one made him happy inside.

McCree peeked around the corner of the hallway into the kitchen and swept the flashlight over the room. “Clear,” he said as he walked in.

“Someone dusted,” Hanzo murmured as she ran her finger over the counter. “But it still smells musky.”

“Hiding evidence,” McCree growled. “Don’t let your guard down.”

Hanzo arched an eyebrow at him. “Me? Look who’s talking, cowboy,” she teased before she glanced around. “I’m going to go have a look upstairs. If you hear screaming, it’s likely the other guy.”

McCree smirked as she turned and headed upstairs. “Thought I was supposed to be the one with the sense of humor,” he teased.

“Someone has to pick up the slack,” Hanzo chuckled in his ear over the comm.

McCree shook his head before he set to work scouring the bottom floor for any sign of Lotus. He turned over everything he could find; the couch, the tables, the chairs; and pulled every drawer out and clawed his way through the junk kept inside.

“Fuck,” he hissed as he found her cellphone under the sink in the bathroom.

He swiped across the screen, relieved to still see that it had some battery power left. It took him three tries to get the phone to unlock, mostly because his fingers were a lot bigger than Lotus’ and he kept missing the buttons. He checked quickly through her messages, trying to find anything of use.

One message caught his attention. It was from an unlisted number and was tagged with a note that said “Tell Gabe”. He tapped the screen and his eyes widened.

_‘You know we are right.’_

_‘Like hell you are. Leave me alone, dammit. I don’t want anything to do with your organization.’_

_‘You either join or you die, Yumi.’_

_‘Go. To. Hell.’_

_‘So be it.’_

“Fuck,” he growled before he pocketed the phone.

Gabriel definitely needed to see this. He was surprised that someone hadn’t destroyed the phone or taken it with them. Hell, he knew that he would have scoured the house top to bottom if he had just taken someone out. Were they sloppy or were they hoping he’d find the phone? He didn’t like the idea of anyone being able to know what he’d do or planning around his predictability.

“Jesse,” Hanzo whispered over the comm. “Jesse, I found her. She’s dead.”

“Fuck,” McCree closed his eyes. “Where are you?”

“Bedroom at the end of the hall upstairs. Do you want me to pull her out or…?”

“Where is she?”

“Stuffed in the crawlspace,” Hanzo replied.

“If you can get her out, do it,” he sighed. “Doubt that’s where she was killed anyways. I’m heading up.”

He headed up the stairs, his heart heavy in his chest. He stepped into the bedroom and covered his nose at the smell. Hanzo had managed to drag Lotus out of the crawlspace in the closet and had her head pillowed in her lap.

“Can you see what killed her?” McCree asked as he walked over.

“Looks like strangulation,” Hanzo murmured as she tipped Lotus’ head back.

There was a long line cut into Lotus’ throat that was surrounded with ugly purple bruises. Hanzo ran her fingers through Lotus’ hair, swallowing loudly.

“Gabe,” McCree sighed as he touched his earpiece. “We found her. We need a body bag and a way to get her back to Zurich.”

“Fuck,” Gabriel growled. “I’ll get that set up. Damn it, do you have any idea who did this?”

“None,” McCree said as he flicked his lighter open and closed.

“Stay there; transportation should be arriving soon. I’ll see you at the safehouse.”

McCree nodded and sat down beside Hanzo. “This is a shitshow,” he murmured. “Fuck.”

“She’s been dead for at least three days,” Hanzo murmured as she brushed Lotus’ hair out of her face. “What a way to go.”

“Rather die in battle?” he asked.

“Yes,” Hanzo shook her head. “There is some dignity in that death.”

“No dignity in any death, darlin’,” he murmured. “You’re dead; don’t matter what you think anymore.”

“We all die eventually,” Hanzo shook her head again. “I’d rather have a say when it happens to me.”

“Don’t we all?” McCree snorted before he rested his head on her shoulder. “Have I told you today that I love you?”

“I don’t care how often you say it,” Hanzo smiled weakly at him before she pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I love you too, Jesse.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Blackwatch agent has been executed. A final message retrieved. Will it be enough?
> 
> Please don't think less of Hanzo because of what she did.


	28. Chapter 27

Jack stood waiting by the gates when the shuttle touched down outside of Overwatch headquarters. The crowds were absent today, letting Gabriel’s men walk the body bag across the tarmac without having to worry about a mob knocking the gurney over. The gates opened to allow the men to wheel Lotus’ body into the base and take it down to the morgue to be examined.

“Hey,” he murmured as he opened his arms to let Gabriel hug him. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault, _cariño_ ,” Gabriel murmured into his hair as she crushed him against her chest. “I need something strong to drink.”

Jack smiled sadly as he squeezed Gabriel’s hand. “There’s probably something strong in the pantry,” he murmured.

“Mind if we tag along?” Hanzo asked.

“The more the merrier,” Jack nodded. “Relatively. Where’s Trice?”

“Still in Berlin; he has some shit to sort out before he heads back,” Gabriel said as she wrapped her arm around Jack’s waist.

They walked back into the base, heading first to the pantry to grab a few bottles of hard liquor and four glasses, and then retreating to Jack and Gabriel’s room. McCree opened the whiskey and poured everyone a generous glass. He raised his glass and sighed.

“To making it through another mission,” he said sadly.

“Aye,” Gabriel lifted her glass in agreement before downing the glass in one gulp. “Tequila.”

 Hanzo opened the bottle and filled Gabriel’s glass. “Someone tipped the clan off that we were going to be there,” she said. “Did you find anything bigger than a pinky of that target?”

“Enough of the skull for identification,” Gabriel grumbled. “High Command was pissed off that he was killed, but that’s hardly my fucking fault when someone else put a bomb in the god-damn bathroom.”

“No talking about the mission,” Jack ordered as he sipped his whiskey. “Anything else, but not that.”

“Fine,” Gabriel snorted before she squinted at Hanzo. “I keep meaning to ask you, but how the hell did you know I ate souls within ten minutes of talking to me?” she demanded.

“Kita told me,” Hanzo smirked.

“Your fucking dragon guardian told you?” Gabriel gawked. “That’s got to be some form of cheating!”

Hanzo smiled and shook her head. “Hardly cheating,” she teased. “Besides, it wasn’t like I tried to use it against you or anything.”

“Probably the smartest thing you did,” Gabriel smirked. “I would have hated to have to kill you.”

Hanzo laughed and lifted her glass in the air. “Gabriel, if you could catch me, I would happily allow you to kill me,” she laughed. “As it stands, you don’t have a chance.”

“Is that a challenge, Ms. Shimada?” Gabriel grinned.

“Maybe,” Hanzo grinned.

“Please don’t kill my girlfriend,” McCree huffed. “I happen to have a positive outlook on life for once because of her.”

“Charmer,” Hanzo teased before she easily climbed into his lap and leaned back against his chest. “Or maybe that’s just the booze talking.”

Jack shot Gabriel a look and Gabriel grinned. “Hey, Hanzo, you want to see a cute picture of Jesse when he was about eighteen?” she asked.

“NO!” McCree shouted, flailing to get to his feet.

Hanzo shifted backwards, pinning him easily on his back. “Yes,” she grinned. “It’s only fair, _anata_ , since Genji sent you all those pictures of me when I was younger.”

“No,” McCree whined and flailed.

Gabriel pulled her phone out and started searching through her pictures, grinning evilly before she handed the phone to Hanzo. “There’s a lot of pictures in there. Feel free to have a look.”

Hanzo smirked as she started swiping through the photos. She paused and let out a long “aw” before she looked back at McCree.

“You were so cute,” she teased. “What happened to that kerchief you’re wearing in most of these pictures?”

“Got torn on a mission,” McCree shrugged. “And you think I was cute? I was so gangly!”

“You’re _still_ gangly,” Hanzo teased as she scrolled through the pictures. “I’m going to send this entire file to my phone.”

“NO!” McCree shrieked before he tried to sit up. “It’s bad enough you’re seeing those pictures!”

“I’m sorry but you have literal baby pictures of me,” Hanzo replied as she twisted around and shoved her foot into McCree’s face. “And sending the file now.”

“Don’t you dare break my phone,” Gabriel warned as McCree tried to reach for the phone. “I will break your other arm.”

“Gabriel, Gabriel why did you do this to me?” he whined miserably. “I was such an idiot!”

“You still are, Jesse,” Gabriel leaned back against the bed and let out a long sigh. “At least you’re our idiot.”

“My idiot,” Hanzo cackled before she lobbed the phone towards Gabriel. “And now those pictures are all mine.”

“Hanzo, why?” McCree whined as she rolled over in his lap, returning to her previous seating arrangement.

“Jesse, you have the pictures of me when I was ten and videos of me singing with a hairbrush in front of the mirror; you can handle me having a few pictures of you,” Hanzo reached up to pat his cheek.

McCree let out a long whine before Hanzo yanked him down into a kiss to make him shut up. Jack shifted closer to Gabriel, resting his head on her shoulder as he watched the young lovebirds. Gabriel’s arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him in close to her chest as she sipped her tequila.

* * *

 

Gabriel heard her phone going off on the nightstand and groaned unhappily. She pressed her face into Jack’s shoulder blades, breathing in his scent. She tried to go back to sleep, opting to ignore the buzzing phone.

“Yer phone,” Jack groaned softly.

“Ignore it,” Gabriel grumbled against his shoulders. “They can wait until it’s a decent hour.”

“If It’s Nox?” Jack asked.

“Fuck,” Gabriel groaned before she leaned across him to grab the phone. “Hello?” she answered.

“Commander Morrison?” the voice asked in confusion.

“No, this is Commander Reyes’ personal phone,” Gabriel groaned. “I can hand the phone over if you need to speak with Morrison personally.”

“Please.”

“Jack, phone,” Gabriel groaned as she leaned back.

“Commander Morrison,” Jack said as he sat up, accepting Gabriel’s phone. He frowned, eyes narrowing as he reached up to ruffle his hair. “I beg your pardon?”

Gabriel lifted her head off of the pillow as Jack’s shoulders tensed up. His hand stopped moving through his hair and he stared ahead without blinking.

“Thank you. No. No, I will be there as soon as I can. Thank you.”

“Jack?” Gabriel asked as he hung up.

The phone dropped into his lap and he dropped his face into his hands. “Ana was shot through the eye; she’s in a coma in a Paris hospital,” he whispered. “Gerard is dead.”

Gabriel tensed up, eyes widening in horror. “What?” she whispered.

“Ana was shot trying to defend Gerard,” Jack repeated. “He’s dead.”

“Oh no,” Gabriel covered her mouth. “Fuck. Fuck, Jack.”

She pulled him close without a word, holding him against his chest. He started sobbing, hiding his face as the news washed over him. Gabriel felt tears running down her face, but she stayed silent as she tried to offer him comfort.

Gerard Lacroix was dead. Amelie was going to be utterly devastated. Ana was in a coma in a Paris hospital; could they get her transferred to Cairo so that Fareeha could visit her? This was such a shitshow and there was nothing they could do to stem the blood flow.

She ran her fingers through Jack’s hair, turning her face down to kiss his golden hair. “I’m here, my love,” she whispered. “I’ve got you.”

Jack let out a broken sob and clung to her tighter.

* * *

 

Hanzo didn’t know who Gerard Lacroix was outside of being Amelie’s husband, but she felt the ripple his passing left in the other agents. There was a stunned disbelief and wordless empathy for what Amelie must have been going through. Gabriel had been able to get a hold of her sniper and given her permission to take as much leave as she needed to mourn and recover.

It was not so easy to deal with the news of Ana Amari’s condition. While Hanzo thought it was at least promising that she was in a coma, everyone else took it as a sign of her imminent death. Everyone was in mourning for a woman that was still very much alive, if only through intensive medical assistance. She held out hope that Ana might wake up, but no one else seemed to share that ideal. It was incredibly odd for Hanzo to be the voice of optimism.

McCree was taking the news hard. He was almost inconsolable, refusing to eat and would have tried to drown himself in whiskey if Hanzo didn’t interfere constantly. She eventually got sneaky, grabbing an empty bottle of whiskey and filling it with apple juice. It was funny to watch him down the shot he poured himself before sputtering. The screaming afterwards was not enjoyable, but Hanzo let it slide; he was in mourning.

“I can’t believe this,” McCree whispered as he stared at the plate of food in front of him.

Ash had stepped in and tried to force McCree to at least eat a toast. Vert had started threatening to hook him up to an IV drip if he didn’t eat something. Trice had threatened to force feed him until he threw up. Hanzo just looked at him and quietly asked him to eat something.

“We’re all reeling,” Ash agreed. “Eat.”

McCree shakily shoveled a few mouthfuls of egg into his mouth before he had to stop. He covered his face, tears leaking out of his bloodshot eyes. Hanzo rubbed his shoulder, her own plate of food untouched in front of her. He glanced at her around his fingers, brown eyes darker than usual.

“Don’t patronize,” he growled.

“I’m not,” Hanzo said coolly as she removed her hand. “It’s called ‘comfort’. Ana’s condition has affected everyone.”

“Not you,” Ash growled.

“I am still affected, Ash, regardless of how little I knew the woman,” Hanzo snapped. “You can only shed so many tears for a stranger.”

“Wouldn’t be a stranger if you weren’t such a bitch,” Trice growled.

“Fuck off, Trice,” Vert snapped. “Hanzo’s only been here half a year; she’s barely met anyone outside of Gibraltar.”

Trice growled at Vert as Hanzo nodded her head in thanks. Vert stabbed his spoon into his oatmeal and growled.

“‘Sides, Amari was just as much of a bitch and you all loved her to pieces,” he growled. “Seems a bit hypocritical to tear Hanzo apart for being prickly when Amari was worse.”

The three Blackwatch agents squirmed uncomfortably in their seats. McCree stabbed a sausage on his fork and bit into it, chewing with a sour expression on his face.

“I can’t believe she’s gone,” he murmured after he swallowed. “Doesn’t seem right.”

“She’s in a coma,” Hanzo said gently. She rested her hand on McCree’s metallic one and squeezed. “There’s still a good chance she’ll wake up.”

She was expecting a snarky comment, maybe a request to stop being patronizing. She was not expecting to have her hand violently knocked off of McCree’s or for him to round on her with a furious expression on his face.

“Don’t you talk if you’re just going to mock me,” he snarled. “You know fuck all about loss, Shimada,”

Hanzo’s breath caught in her throat and she stared at McCree. Her heart tightened in her chest and threatened to shatter as his words settled like shards of glass against her soul. Kita reared her head back in confusion, bleating for her mate that was still curled inside of McCree’s soul. There was no answer; he was stunned into silence.

Tears built behind her eyes and she wanted nothing more than to lash out and punch McCree. She didn’t know loss? What was he thinking saying that to her? She knew loss as well as anyone else in Overwatch. Maybe it wasn’t as profound as some of the senior members, but acting like she had never experienced heartbreak over the death of someone close to her was outrageous.

She got to her feet and took a deep breath. “You are hurting, so I will not hold your words against you, McCree,” she said as calmly as she could manage. She didn’t miss the satisfied smirk that Ash and Trice exchanged, but her emotions were in too much turmoil for her to care. “Just know that those words cut deeper than you will ever be able to understand.”

She turned without a word and left the messhall. Tears started burning their way down her cheeks and she wiped at them furiously. Agents moved out of her way, eyeing her sadly. No one tried to touch her, but she heard a few “it’s going to be okay” from who she believed to be nurses. They must have thought she was having a breakdown over Ana.

She suddenly felt worse. Everyone else was mourning the loss of two important agents and here she was being miserable because her boyfriend snapped at her. How pathetic was she? How self-centered and self-absorbed was she to only think of herself while the rest of the base was in mourning?

She broke into a run as she spotted the doors to the exterior of the base. She brushed past someone she didn’t recognize, murmuring an apology as she burst into the mid-July morning. She sucked in deep lungfuls of air, reaching into her pocket to fish her phone out. She staggered off to the side, wiping furiously at her eyes as she called Genji. He answered after two rings.

“Hanzo, what’s wrong?” Genji asked gently.

“I don’t know if this is going to work,” she whispered as she rested her back against the blue wall and sank down into the dirt.

“Hanzo?” Genji asked in confusion.

“Me and Jesse; I don’t know if this is going to work,” she sobbed.

“What happened?” Genji demanded. “You were fine a few days ago when you got back from Berlin!”

She recounted what happened at breakfast, sobbing down the phoneline. She told him how pathetic she felt, how worthless she felt, crying over this when everyone else was mourning lost agents. How selfish was she to put her own stupid miseries ahead of everyone else’s?

Genji soothed her worries. She wished he was there to hold her, to let her hide her face in his chest and hear the whirling of his systems and the steady beat of his heart. She wanted physical reassurance as well as emotional, but she knew that would not happen.

“You are not pathetic, Hanzo,” Genji soothed. “Your emotions are just as valid as everyone else’s right now. I don’t think Jesse meant what he said. He is hurting and sometimes we act irrationally in front of others. I know he loves you, Hanzo. Just give him time to mourn.”

“She’s not dead,” Hanzo whimpered.

“I know, but from what I’ve been told ‘coma’ means ‘good as dead’ in Overwatch,” Genji sighed.

“Why the fuck don’t they tell us that?” Hanzo snapped. “Fuck, I’m not a god-damn mind reader!”

Genji was silent for a moment before he started snickering. “You’re starting to sound like Gabriel,” he teased.

“I should be that lucky!” she laughed in spite of herself. She rested her head against the wall and sighed. “What would I do without you, Genji?”

“Go mad,” Genji replied immediately. “Just as I would. Just as we did. I love you, _oneesan_.”

“Love you too, _otouto_ ,” she sighed. “Thank you.”

She hung up and closed her eyes, resting her phone in her lap. She focused on her breathing, letting her emotions unravel as they wished. Kita coiled slowly in her gut, helping to ease the tension in Hanzo’s body with her steady, unwavering love. Hanzo touched the clawed hand sitting over her heart and smiled.

The sun moved overhead and passed its zenith before Kita suddenly jerked in Hanzo’s gut. She was on her feet in an instant, panting heavily as panic swept through her. It was Kita’s panic, she knew that from the intensity, and she was running before she realized what had made her guardian so afraid. Minami was screaming for help and just under his wail was the familiar sounds of McCree shouting in pain.

Hanzo charged through the eerily empty halls. She darted into her quarters, grabbing Storm Bow and her quiver from where she had them safely stored. Minami called out to her, leading her through the maze of corridors to where McCree was. He warned her to be careful and she pressed her back against the wall outside the open door.

“I’m losing patience with you, Jesse,” Ash growled. “Don’t you see how Overwatch is falling apart? Morrison and Reyes need to be removed.”

“I owe Gabriel everything!” McCree snarled. “I ain’t throwing that all away for your idiotic plan, Ash.”

There was the sound of a fisting striking bone and Hanzo flinched at McCree’s pained grunt. She nocked an arrow and shifted slowly along the wall.

“You would side with Gabriel after everything she’s failed to do?” Ash demanded. “She will be the death of you, McCree.”

“So be it,” McCree growled.

Hanzo let out a sharp whistle before she twisted into the room. Ash turned just as she had hoped and her arrow punched through the center of his forehead. It sank down to the fletching and his dark eyes widened in surprise. He fell backwards, thumping to the ground with a soft exhale as blood slowly bubbled out of his head.

Hanzo didn’t let anyone in the room recover from her attack. She charged forward, pulling her knife out of the sheath on her hip and plunging it into one man’s gut. She tore his torso open, spinning under his arm, and wrenching the blade out. She shoved it point-first into one woman’s throat, silencing her before she could call for backup. Hanzo ducked behind the woman, using her as cover before she pulled the second knife out of her boot.

She threw it at the last man as hard as she could. The knife smashed sideways into his face, bouncing off after slicing his cheek open. While he screamed in shock, she pulled out her handgun and shot him in the chest. He slumped to the ground with a wet pop, blood bubbling past his lips.

“Hanzo?” McCree asked as he pushed himself up to his knees. “How?”

“Minami called for help,” Hanzo replied as she retrieved her knife and slipped it into its sheath.

“That was a terrible throw,” he smiled.

“It’s not made to be thrown, McCree,” she replied as she knelt down beside him and cut through the thick rope holding his limbs together.

“Hanzo, I’m sorry,” McCree whispered. “I didn’t mean….”

“I know,” she soothed as she brushed her fingers against his cheek. “We should find Gabriel.”

“We don’t have time,” McCree said as he got to his feet. “Ash and the others rigged this place to blow. We have to get this place evacuated.”

“There’s several hundred people on base; how do we evacuate?” she demanded as she pushed her hair out of her face.

“Fire drill,” McCree grinned. “Come on.”

* * *

 

McCree wrenched the lever down on the red alarm box. Alarms started blaring through base and he heard surprised shouts from the other rooms. Phase one done and done; now they just had to get out before someone in Ash’s little entourage decided to blow the charges.

“Okay, now we run!” McCree shouted as he grabbed Hanzo’s arm.

He had barely turned around when the first explosion ripped through the base. His feet were knocked out from under him and he fell heavily into Hanzo. He curled around her, hitting the ground on his knees as he pulled her protectively against his chest.

“Fuck,” he said as he lifted his head. His eyes widened as he saw the fires spreading around them. “Okay, Hanzo, we gotta move!”

“Holy shit,” she whispered as she scrambled to her feet. “How many more charges are there?”

“I don’t know,” McCree shook his head. “We need to get moving. Come on!”

They raced down the corridor as another explosion shook the base. Screams filled the air and smoke billowed out into the hallway as doors were blown clean off their hinges. McCree swore, throwing his arm out to stop Hanzo from running into someone that came running out of a room covered in fire.

“There’s nothing we can do,” McCree growled as he closed his eyes to keep the horrible sight of skin sloughing off of the agent’s body out of his head. “Hanzo, don’t stop!”

“Right behind you,” Hanzo promise as they darted around the dying agent.

They ran hard, pushing themselves as fast as they could as the building shook with the impact of more explosions. McCree tried not to think of anyone caught in the rubble; there was nothing he could do while the building was still exploding and burning. He forced himself to run, glancing back over his shoulder to make sure Hanzo was still with him.

He couldn’t lose her. He already lost so many people; he couldn’t lose her too.

“Almost there!” he shouted as he spotted the doors. “Come on; homestretch!”

He had barely reached the doors when an explosion launched him forward. He smashed through the glass, crying out in pain as microscopic shards sliced him open. He hit the ground hard, rolling desperately to put out the flames that were dancing across his shirt and pants.

“Hanzo!” he shouted as he scrambled to his feet as soon as the flames were out.

He spun around, breathe caught in his throat as he watched other agents sinking to their knees a safe distance from the shaking building. They were in various stages of shock, holding onto one another and staring at the flames that came billowing out of the windows as the building shook with the force of the explosions. Someone was shouting at him, but he could barely hear them.

“HANZO!” he shouted louder.

 _“Here,”_ Kita’s voice rang hollowly in his head. _“Just inside the doors. I cannot hold this for long.”_

“Hanzo!” McCree shouted and bolted for the building, forgetting every bit of fire safety that he’d had drilled into his head from childhood.

He felt someone grab him from behind, trying to haul him away from the collapsing building. He fought them, throwing an elbow backwards into the person’s face. He heard them yelp in pain and wiggled free of their grasp. They weren’t stopping him from saving Hanzo.

He shouldered through the wreckage of the door, ignoring the slick trail of blood from broken bodies. He stumbled forward, following Kita’s hollow voice in his head. He saw the pale blue glow of Kita’s body and dug through the crumbling drywall and rebar to reach her. Kita’s head rose as he managed to free her enough for her to lift herself up onto her feet, shoving the rest of the collapsed wall off of her shoulders.

Hanzo was unconscious, but still breathing. McCree wrapped his arms around her chest and hauled her up and out of the protection of Kita’s coils. He rested his hand on Kita’s nose, unable to express himself in words for how grateful he was that she had saved Hanzo. Her eyes crinkled in a smile before she nudged him towards the remains of the door.

He lifted Hanzo into his arms properly and bolted for the door. He heard Kita sigh in exhaustion before the wall collapsed behind him. He stumbled back out into the afternoon sunlight, squinting as he hauled Hanzo a safe distance from the shaking building.

“If you ever do that again,” Vert snarled around his bloody nose as McCree sank to his knees, cradling Hanzo to his chest.

“You’ll kill me?” McCree smirked up at him. “I elbow you in the nose?”

“Yes, you bastard,” Vert growled as he knelt down to look at McCree’s injuries.

“Hey, her first!” McCree tried to shove him away.

“She’s unconscious; I have to deal with you first,” Vert snorted. “Just sit still and….”

They both twisted around as the building gave an audible groan. McCree felt his chest tighten in horror as the building collapsed in on itself. The shockwave slammed into him like a freight train, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Vert had ducked down behind him; the bastard; and immediately sat up, shouting at everyone to clear the area.

McCree looked around, his heart rate slowly increasing as he saw a distinct lack of overly large women and golden haired commanders. “Where’s Jack and Gabe?” he demanded.

Vert hung his head. “I haven’t seen them since this morning,” he murmured.

“No,” McCree whispered as he looked at the remains of the Overwatch Headquarters. “No!”

“Jesse?” Hanzo’s voice was soft, but it immediately grabbed his attention. “Did you go back in…to get me?”

“Yah, darlin’, I did,” he smiled down at her, brushing bloody strands of hair out of her face.

“You idiot,” she smiled weakly. “Who runs back into a burning building?”

“Me, clearly,” he chuckled as he held her close. “Vert, you can tend to her now; she’s awake.”

“Where’s Jack?” Hanzo whispered as Vert swept her hair aside to look at the gash on the top of her head. “And Gabe?”

McCree hung his head. “I don’t think they made it out,” he whispered.

Hanzo’s eyes filled with tears and she let out a choked sob. She buried her face in his stomach, clutching his burned shirt tightly between her fists. McCree closed his eyes, feeling tears race down his face. All around him, people were screaming for friends and loved ones, sobbing over the corpses of those that made it out but died of their injuries, and screaming in shock over what had happened.

Overwatch Headquarters was gone. Dozens of lives were gone. Jack and Gabriel were nowhere to be seen. It was the darkest chapter in Overwatch history. Somehow, Jesse didn’t they were going to pull out of this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to combine two chapters because I didn't like how short one was and they play into each other.
> 
> *begins cackling evilly*Oh dear, oh my, whatever shall we do? Where are Jack and Gabriel? They aren't still in there, are they? No, no, not our two beloved supersoldiers! This must be a mistake!


	29. Chapter 28

Jack looked up in surprise as the fire alarm went off. He looked around him, trying to figure out which direction would get him to one of the many exists faster, and started down the southward hallway.

“Gabe, you hearing that alarm?” he asked over comms. “You know what’s going on?”

“Not a fucking clue,” Gabriel replied. “Where are you?”

“Second floor; heading for the back exit,” Jack smiled. “You?”

“Coming up from the morgue. I’ll meet you at the back exit.”

The building shook as an explosion went off on one of the lower floors. Jack swore, throwing an arm out to brace himself against the wall. His legs felt like jelly as he heard screams filling the building and the acrid scent of burning flesh and hair.

“Gabriel, get out now! Don’t worry about me,” he ordered as he stumbled to his feet.

Before Gabriel could give her affirmative, something struck Jack in the small of his back. Electricity surged through him and he screamed. His muscles contracted painfully, driving him to his knees. A boot connected squarely with his shoulder and he sprawled out on the floor, his body twitching violently as electricity continued coursing through him.

“Been waiting a long time to do that,” Trice chuckled somewhere above him. “The little Golden Boy of Overwatch brought to his knees at last.”

Jack coughed and tried to move, only for Trice to kick him hard in the stomach. He doubled over in pain, squeezing his hand into a fist to keep himself from crying out. Trice kicked him again, lifting him into the air and onto his back. He stared up at the spinning ceiling, coughing as he felt his insides tremble in agony.

Trice loomed over him, grinning viciously as he lifted a taser to Jack’s chest. Another explosion rocked the base, but Trice didn’t seem to notice it. “Gabriel sends her regards,” he cooed.

“You’re damn right I do, _puto_ ,” Gabriel snarled as she shoved her shotgun against the side of Trice’s head. “Ingrate.”

Jack winced as he was showered with blood, bone, and gray matter. Trice fell lifeless to the ground, most of his head and face missing. Jack lifted his hand and Gabriel roughly yanked him to his feet. She covered his face in kisses, holding him close as she ran her fingers through his hair.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Back feels like shit,” he smiled as he pressed his forehead to hers. “Don’t know how he didn’t hear you coming.”

“Who cares; let’s get outside,” Gabriel growled.

An explosion almost knocked them to the ground. They looked at each other as the building shook beneath their boots.

“Fuck,” Gabriel hissed.

“Run,” Jack ordered, grabbing her by the shoulder and pulling her along in his wake.

* * *

 

Gabriel easily kept pace with Jack as they hurtled down the second floor hallway. The ground was cracking under their boots, parts giving away and forcing her to back off and run almost directly behind Jack. He slammed his shoulder into the door to the stairwell as another explosion rocked the base.

The stairs shuddered and started to fall apart. Jack grabbed the railing and vaulted them, landing with a grunt below. Gabriel followed close on his heels, shoving him hard through the door as the stairwell groaned loudly behind them.

“Don’t stop running!” she shouted at him.

Tongues of flame lashed out at them as they ran towards the exit. Jack swore as the ceiling gave out ahead of them, blocking the door behind a mountain of debris and spreading flames.

“East hallway; come on!” he shouted over the roar of the flames.

They charged down the hallway, arms pumping as the two super-soldiers headed for the exit. Gabriel heard the ceiling creaking overhead and looked up. She could see cracks opening up above her and heard the hallway collapsing in on itself behind her. Without even hesitating, she sped up just enough to shove Jack forward.

“Go!” she screamed at him as he stumbled a few paces. “Get out!”

Jack spun around just in time to watch the ceiling collapse on her. Her legs were pinned under the rubble and she felt something stabbing down through her back and out the front of her pelvis. She screamed in pain, thrashing as she reached down to feel what had stabbed her. It felt like something metal, but it was hard to tell in the poor lighting.

“Gabriel!” Jack shouted as a wall of flames whipped past him. “Hang on! I’m coming!”

“No!” she shouted at him. “Get out, Jack!”

“I’m not leaving you behind!” he shouted back as he paced back and forth in front of the dancing yellow flames. “Just hold on!”

“I didn’t shove you out of the way for you to play hero, _pendejo_!” she shrieked. “Go! Please!”

She heard the ceiling creak again and struggled to pull her legs free. Dust fell on the fire, making the flames tremble and shrink. Jack took a step back, readying himself to jump, and the ceiling collapsed again.

Gabriel screamed as Jack was pinned down under the rubble, the fire dancing inches from his face. She struggled, screaming his name as she watched a trickle of blood roll down from his forehead. His blue eyes flicked towards her and she saw him grimace as he tried to move.

Gabriel screamed again as the base shook. The whole second floor gave out overtop of them, sinking down like a falling giant. She heard rather than felt the chunk of metal severe her skull from her spinal cord. Her scream died instantly, as did she, but she continued to watch as Jack’s eyes slowly closed as he reached desperately towards her.

She floated there, watching the building bury them under tonnes of concrete and steel. She screamed soundlessly, begging for Jack to stay alive, to beat the odds. He couldn’t die; she loved him too much for him to die. He didn’t deserve this; he was a good man, no matter how foolish and naïve he could be.

***

If this was what happened to people when they died, Gabriel wanted a refund on her religion. Or rather, her mother’s religion because she had seen too much shit in her life to actually believe in a high power anymore. Still “took His name in vain” because what other swears was she supposed to use? But this, this was a terrible afterlife.

She was still hovering near her body, reaching out on occasion to brush against Jack’s still steadily beating heart. That was her trooper; a few broken bones and some extreme crushing wouldn’t take his life. He was so strong; that was her Jack. She wanted to run her fingers through his hair and whisper encouragements, but she didn’t have a voice or really anything familiar as a spirit.

She looked down a lot, but there was nothing to see. It was like her mind was just floating along invisibly and it was really starting to freak her out. Wasn’t there supposed to be a Reaper or something to come show her the way to the afterlife? Was she stuck in some terrible limbo while someone played “Rock, Paper, Scissors” over where her sadistic, soul-eating ass was going?

She had way too much time on her hands if she was actually starting to contemplate this kind of thing. Way, WAY too much time. But it wasn’t like there was anything else to do either. She was just sort of _there_ without being able to interact with anything.

She heard shifting rubble and turned to watch as an excavator started lifting most of the debris off of them. She spotted Hanzo picking her way through the exposed rubble and tried to call out for Jack’s adopted little sister.

 _“Here! Over here! He’s still alive!”_ she tried to scream.

She wished she had arms to wave over her head. Would probably be easier for Hanzo to see in amongst the haze of white concrete and the blazing sun overhead. How long had it been since the building collapsed? An hour? A day? A week?

Maybe not a week; Jack would have been dead otherwise from lack of air and dehydration. A few days then. At least.

Almost as if she had heard Gabriel’s disjointed thoughts, Hanzo hurried forward. She slid down the rubble and sank to her knees beside Jack’s pinned body. She pressed two fingers against his throat, searching for a pulse.

Jack moaned at the touch, his blue eyes fluttering open briefly before he immediately passed out again. Gabriel fluttered fretfully by his head, trying to touch his pale skin in the hopes of making him stir again.

“I found Jack!” Hanzo shouted into her comm. “I repeat, I found Jack Morrison! He’s still alive.”

“That’s fantastic!” McCree’s voice echoed down the comm line. “Do you know where Gabe is?”

Gabriel turned to look at her body and grimaced. At least, it felt like she grimaced. Again, no face, just a floating mind with the memories of what expressions were.

She looked bad. Her eyes were staring sightlessly ahead and one hand was severed in half, still outstretched towards Jack. Sticky, coagulated blood connected her open mouth to the floor. She didn’t want to even think about how the rest of her looked under all the rubble; probably like a really messy raspberry tart that exploded in the microwave.

Hanzo walked over to her body and just barely touched the rubble near Gabriel’s neck. That small movement jarred her severed head loose of whatever was keeping it in place. Hanzo screamed as Gabriel’s head rolled away from her body, bumping against her boot. Hanzo covered her mouth and scrambled away from Gabriel’s head.

“Jesse, she’s dead,” Hanzo croaked down the comm line. “Fuck. Fuck.”

“Are you sure?” McCree demanded. “Maybe there’s a pulse or….”

“Her head just rolled away from her body, Jesse; I’m pretty sure she’s fucking dead!” Hanzo screeched.

“I’ll be right there,” McCree said. “Don’t move.”

Gabriel hovered nearby, watching as Hanzo sank to her knees in the rubble. She fought back tears, her mouth twisting into a painful grimace, before she covered her face and started sobbing uncontrollably. McCree came stumbling down into the rubble with Vert and Angela on his heels. He swore furiously as he spotted Gabriel’s head, tears leaking down his face as he tore at his hair. Vert ignored her completely, kneeling down beside Jack to check his vitals while Angela tried to calm McCree down.

“Hanzo needs you,” Angela whispered. “Please, Jesse, calm down.”

McCree shoved Angela aside, snarling at her to not touch him. He sank down beside Hanzo and dragged her to his chest, burying his face in her hair. She clung to him like a lifeline, sobbing into his chest as she beat a fist on his shoulder.

Gabriel watched as Jack’s body was pulled from the rubble, strapped to a gurney, and lifted out of the ruins. Her body took longer to retrieve and they didn’t even bother trying to separate all of her mashed and mangled body parts from the debris it was fused to. She followed her body, reaching out to try to touch Jack’s hand.

She was dead. Why was she still here? Why was she still here? She wanted to hold Jack’s hand; he was still alive. Please, please just let her hold him one last time! Let her comfort him! Let her make him happy, just one last time!

PLEASE!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *laughs evilly* Oh, was this what you were expecting? Because I've been waiting WEEKS to post this chapter. Poor Gabriel. Whatever will happen to you and Jack now?


	30. Chapter 29

Genji spotted Hanzo first and bolted across the airport lounge towards her. Louis was on his heels, waving his hands over his head to get Hanzo and McCree’s attention. Tired, broken eyes met Genji’s as Hanzo all but dropped her carry-on and threw herself into Genji’s arms. She crushed him to her chest, squeezing him as if she was afraid he’d vanish if she let go.

“ _Otouto_ ,” she whispered. “They’re gone. They’re both gone.”

Genji knew. The whole of Overwatch knew. It was all over the news too. The Swiss Headquarters had exploded, trapping a lot of the agents inside, including Jack Morrison and Gabriel Reyes. Gabriel’s corpse had been pulled from the ruins and Jack had died a few hours later in the hospital.

Rumours were flying furiously through the ranks, many blaming Gabriel for what happened. They blamed her for not keeping her agents on a tighter leash, for not vetting them properly. A hundred thousand excused were thrown the dead woman’s way, but it would not bring the two commanders back or the other agents that had died in the explosion.

“Dorado was always beautiful in the summer,” McCree murmured as he stared numbly out the window behind them. “Not a bad place to rest.”

Louis let out a soft sob and covered his mouth, shoulders shaking. “This isn’t fair,” he sobbed. “This wasn’t supposed to happen!”

“Louis,” McCree turned to hug the smaller man to his chest. “I got you.”

“Where’s Reinhardt and Zenyatta?” Hanzo asked from the crook of Genji’s neck.

“Reinhardt is helping put the final affairs in order,” Genji murmured as he stroked his sister’s hair. “Zenyatta is helping keep the peace.”

“I could really use a Harmony Orb,” Hanzo rubbed at her face.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Genji smiled as he picked up Hanzo’s carry-on. “Come on; let’s get your suitcase and get to the room.”

“We all staying together?” McCree asked as they started walking.

“Yup,” Louis rubbed at his face. “Like London all over again.”

McCree managed a small smile, but it was gone just as fast. They collected their luggage from the turnstile, fumbling with the handles until Hanzo almost burst into tears of frustration. People stared at her fearfully as McCree pulled her into a hug, letting her cling to him as Genji quickly snapped the handle into place and started rolling it away. Louis grabbed McCree’s luggage and led the stressed couple through the throng of people to where their car was waiting.

Louis drove them to the hotel, unnaturally silent the whole way. No one said a word the whole way up to their room and Hanzo bodily threw herself onto the bed. McCree laid down beside her, drawing her in close as she started hiccupping. Louis shuffled nervously from one foot to the other before he politely excused himself and zipped off to give them breathing room.

Genji settled down on the other bed to meditate, wishing there was something he could do for his sister. She was hurting and there was nothing he could do to ease the pain in her heart. The loss of Jack and Gabriel cut deep into his soul, but he hadn’t been there to see them get pulled out of the rubble. He could never understand that horror and he didn’t know how to offer the comfort that Hanzo needed at that moment.

He jolted out of his nap to the sound of a very loud argument. He turned his head towards Hanzo and McCree, blinking in fright at the sheer volume of their exchange.

“I don’t give a damn about some stupid tradition; I refuse to wear black to Gabriel’s funeral!” Hanzo snarled. “She would have our heads if she saw that!”

“It isn’t just Gabriel’s funeral; it’s Jack’s too,” McCree shouted. “His parents are going to be there. Everyone is going to be there; if you show up in anything but a black dress, they will tear you apart.”

“I would like to see them try!” Hanzo shouted back.

“What the hell did I just wake up to?” Genji demanded loudly.

“I’m not wearing black,” Hanzo said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest and lifting her chin.

“Wasn’t Gabriel’s favourite colour black?” Genji asked as he stretched his arms over his head.

“Actually, it was gold,” McCree smiled slightly. “She just started wearing black because it suited her role as Commander of Blackwatch. Point still stands, though, that you should wear black.”

“No,” Hanzo shook her head stubbornly. “I refuse.”

“Hanzo,” Genji sighed as he got to his feet.

“Don’t start,” Hanzo growled. “Gabriel would have wanted us to celebrate her life, to sing praises of her accomplishments, not wallow in misery because she’s gone. I refuse to wear black.”

“Well what are you going to wear then?” McCree demanded.

Hanzo deflated a little and looked away. “I don’t know,” she murmured.

“There’s a little shop not far from here,” Genji pipped up. “I’m sure if we ask the people working there what an appropriate dress for a funeral that wasn’t black was they would help.”

“You speak Spanish, Genji?” Hanzo smirked.

“I do,” McCree said with a sigh. “I’m sorry, Hanzo. I didn’t….”

“I know,” Hanzo pressed her head against his chest. “I know.”

Genji smiled behind his visor before he walked past them. “Come on; let’s go see what the store has.”

* * *

 

“How do I look?” Hanzo asked as she straightened the flower behind her ear.

“Beautiful,” McCree smiled at her. “You’d make Gabriel smile, that’s for sure.”

“Good,” she nodded as she looked herself over in the mirror one last time. “That’s what I want to do.”

She straightened the shoulder straps on her dress, inhaling slowly to calm her nerves. The red fabric was soft against her skin, as light-weight as could be in the late July summer heat. The ladies at the store had fawned over her when she tried the dress on, loudly proclaiming in broken English how beautiful she looked. McCree had agreed whole-heartedly, smiling as she nervously twirled the long skirt around her feet.

She dusted her chest off, straightened the flower one more time before she turned to look at McCree. The somber attire didn’t suit him; it made him look like a lost kid in the black suit, but he felt duty-bound to wear it. She stepped closer, reaching up to fix his lapels, smoothing them out. She looked up at him and reached up to cup his cheek.

He had decided to leave his hat in the room. “Doesn’t feel right wearing it to their funeral,” he had murmured as he set it on the nightstand.

She ran her fingers through his hair, fixing some of the strands that refused to remain tamed. “You look handsome,” she murmured softly.

“Thanks,” he smiled before he kissed her. “Come on; the others are going to be waiting.”

She stayed close to him all the way down to the lobby. The melancholic air hung heavy as everyone piled into the cars waiting on the road for them. No one looked at each other, their eyes on their feet or out the window. The clear skies felt like a mockery to their frayed emotions, but Hanzo tried not to dwell on the negatives.

She was going to do her best to celebrate Gabriel and Jack’s life. They had been indomitable people in life; why should their death be any different? It still hurt to think about; would always hurt to think about; but damn it, she wasn’t going to let herself be miserable.

“That dress looks beautiful on you,” Angela murmured softly.

“Thank you,” Hanzo nodded her head. “You look lovely as well.”

Angela gave a tight lipped smile behind her veil before she looked out the window. “It should be raining.”

“I have to carry a casket through the grass; I’m happy it’s not raining,” Hanzo said without thinking.

Reinhardt let out a soft snort of laughter. “I am in agreement.”

Angela shot them both a cold look before the car pulled up to the chapel. Hanzo followed Reinhardt up to the small building, lifting the skirt of her dress a little bit so that Genji didn’t step on the hem. He was walking very close to her, one hand settling on the small of her back. It was a protective gesture and she was grateful for it.

Jack’s casket was waiting inside, the lid closed out of respect to his parent’s request for a closed casket. They were scared that someone would try to desecrate the corpse of the late Strike Commander out of some misplaced desire to humiliate him further. No one argued with their wishes. Gabriel’s ashes were in an urn beside the casket. Her body had been mulched too badly to stitch back together and so she had been cremated instead. She wanted to be buried next to her mother’s grave in Dorado and, after a bit of a fight, Jack’s parents agreed to bury him next to her.

Hanzo grabbed one of the handles on the casket along with Reinhardt, Torbjörn, McCree, Angela, and Genji. Lena carried Gabriel’s urn, holding it tightly to her chest as fat tears rolled down her face. On the count of three, they hoisted the casket up onto their shoulders while Reinhardt looped his arm around the front to keep it level.

They started the long trek across the cemetery to where a crowd of people were waiting. Heads turned towards them as they approached and Hanzo struggled to keep her face neutral. Tears leaked down her face regardless of her attempts to remain stoic. Reinhardt led the way to the grave and they placed the coffin on the stand at the front of the gathering.

Genji shifted closer to her as McCree stared straight ahead. Hanzo felt more tears leaking from her eyes as she listened to the priest walk through the procession that Jack’s parents had requested. She could see the elderly couple in the front of the crowd, Jack’s mother sobbing into her husband’s shoulder. She did her best not to make eye-contact with the man that looked like an older version of Jack. Her heart couldn’t take the torture.

A breeze teased her hair and she closed her eyes. Her fingers laced slowly with McCree’s, trying to pull some of his strength so that she could make her tears stop. His mouth pressed against the top of her head and she let herself smile at the small gesture.

The priest stopped speaking in English and switched over to Spanish, running through the quick eulogy that Gabriel had demanded in her will. She hadn’t wanted a long, drawn out funeral; “just put me in the damn ground and let me be in peace” was what she had written. Hanzo almost started laughing at the memory in spite of herself and wiped at her tears.

Lena picked up the urn and slowly knelt down, lowering the silver container into the shallow hole below Gabriel’s headstone. It was a simple headstone, one that said her date of birth and the day she died, along with a caption that read “Commander of Blackwatch, Hero of the Omnic Crisis, loving companion, and stalwart friend”.

Lena stood up and let out a soft sob, covering her mouth as McCree stepped forward to fill in the hole. Tears fell down his face, but he kept his mouth pursed to keep any noise from escaping. When he was done, he smoothed out the dirt and drew a small heart with the initials “G.R” and “J.M” inside of it. He stood up and dusted his hands off, clearing his throat as he stepped back.

They hoisted Jack’s casket off of the stand and slowly lowered it into the ground. Jack’s mother let out a long wail and Hanzo flinched at the noise. Tears poured down her face anew as the casket settled in the bottom of the grave and she accepted the shovel to start filling it in. Each spadeful of dirt that hit the casket had her choking. She stopped a few times, wiping the tears from her eyes so that she could see.

Angela stood off to the side with Lena, both of them holding each other as they cried. McCree was sobbing, sagging against his shovel as he tried to keep himself together. He was across from her, making it impossible for her to reach out and comfort him. Torbjörn and Reinhardt were crying as they shoveled, sniffling loudly as Jack was slowly buried. Only Genji seemed unaffected, but Hanzo could hear his tears pattering against the inside of his helmet as he dutifully buried his adopted brother.

When they were finished, McCree knelt down and drew the same heart and initials as he had drawn on Gabriel’s grave. The priest said the closing words and everyone shuffled away from the graves, leaving those closest to Jack and Gabriel behind. Jack’s mother shuffled forward, blowing her nose and thanking them all for their assistance. Jack’s father was silent, staring at his son’s tombstone with a set jaw.

“I told him that girl would be the death of him,” he growled.

Hanzo kept her mouth shut, lifting her chin stubbornly. Now wasn’t the time to be pointing fingers, but grief could make an assholes out of anyone. It surprised her when McCree stepped forward and loomed over Jack’s father.

“Jack loved Gabriel with all his heart; don’t you stand at his grave and insult her memory,” McCree growled.

The man glared up at McCree before he turned away. Jack’s mother said one last good-bye to the gravestone before she turned and followed her husband back across the cemetery.

McCree spat on the ground and hooked his fingers into the pants of his suit. “Good riddance to bad rubbish,” he growled.

Hanzo looped her arm through his and pressed in close. “Agreed,” she murmured.

* * *

 

McCree chugged his beer, tipping his head back as far as he could. The alcohol burned on the way down; his throat was raw from sobbing so much at the funeral. He wanted to be drunk, to hide behind the haziness of intoxication and pretend that everything hadn’t gone to shit in the span of twenty-four hours.

“Jesse,” Hanzo murmured at his hip, “please don’t kill yourself.”

He pulled the empty beer bottle away from his lips and set it down on the nightstand. They were curled up on the bed, limbs interlocked to keep the other close. Genji and Tracer had opted to go elsewhere for the night, leaving them to comfort one another.

“Don’t plan on killing myself,” he murmured. “Just want to be piss drunk.”

“Water,” she sighed. “Otherwise your hangover is going to be a nightmare.”

McCree grabbed the water gourd off the nightstand, careful not to knock over the six other empty beer bottles, and chugged as much water as he could. Hanzo pressed closer to him, her breathing a little stuttered as she struggled to hold back tears.

“Love you,” McCree slurred as he set the gourd down and shuffled himself down to cuddle her. “Love you so much.”

“Love you too,” Hanzo murmured as she ran her fingers slowly through his hair.

They were silent for a time, pressing their foreheads together and trying to offer comfort where they could. McCree dozed at some point, his dreams disjointed and full of ill omens from a tired and stressed mind. Barn owls, black cats, a woman in red with a sugar-skull face, and a man in a blue leather jacket; none of it made sense.

He woke to find Hanzo’s spot next to him empty. He blinked and squinted through the dark room, trying to figure out where she had went. Minami uncoiled himself from McCree’s arm, lifting his head curiously.

“Ugh, could you turn the glow off?” McCree grumbled as he shielded his eyes.

Minami let out a huff before he flew off, weaving through the hotel room in a way that suggested McCree follow him. Groaning as he got to his feet, McCree stifled a yawn and scratched at his chest. He stumbled after the glowing spirit dragon, almost tripping on his luggage and cursing as he almost landed ungracefully on his face. Minami let out a noise similar to a snicker and he glared at the weaving dragon.

“Yah, so funny,” he grumbled as he pushed the door to the bathroom open.

Kita was curled up on the floor, the glow of her body easily illuminating the whole room. Hanzo lifted her head from where she was resting it on the back of the tub. She smiled, pushing her hair out of her face.

“Hey,” she greeted. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t,” McCree smiled as Minami wiggled his way under Kita’s jaw and curled up. “Mind if I join you?”

“If you think you can fit,” Hanzo chuckled.

“Are you calling me fat?” McCree teased as he stripped out of the remainder of his suit and tossed it on the ground.

“Not in so many words,” Hanzo smirked as he settled into the tub beside her.

The overflow drain gurgled loudly as McCree made the water level rise, but it evened out soon enough. Hanzo rested her head on his chest, snuggling in close as he wrapped his right arm around her and hung his left arm over the side of the tub. He tipped his head back and let out a long sigh, sinking down into the tub as Hanzo ran her fingers through his chest hair.

“You know,” she murmured softly, “I used to be jealous of Jack and Gabriel.”

“Jealous?” McCree asked and glanced down at her.

She nodded. “They were so comfortable around each other,” she murmured. “Even when they were at their worst, they loved each other. You could see it in their eyes and how they spoke to each other.”

“Yah,” he agreed. “First decent relationship I ever saw and I always wanted something like that. That ease of understanding, speaking without words, insulting each other sweetly and knowing when to back off.”

“Think we’ll get there someday?” Hanzo asked quietly.

“Think so,” McCree smiled and held her close. “Cuz, I don’t know about you, but I sure as hell ain’t lettin’ you slip away, darlin’.”

“I have no intention of letting anyone else have your attention the same way that I do, _anata_ ,” she smirked.

“Good to know,” he smiled as he pulled her closer and kissed her temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *twists the knife a little bit deeper* Now, would you say that this hurts more or less?
> 
> I realize that Jack's coffin was supposed to be empty and that Gabriel isn't supposed to have a marked tombstone, but I think this hits a little bit harder, don't you think? And don't hold it against John Morrison; he just lost his son.


	31. Chapter 30

Jack heard beeping all around him as he struggled into consciousness. His whole body ached and it hurt to even breathe. He didn’t bother trying to open his eyes; he could feel the medical bay lights burning into his retinas through his eyelids. His fingers twitched and white hot pain raced up his arm.

Broken arms? Most likely. Definitely some cracked ribs. Could still feel his toes, so there wasn’t a severe spinal cord injury. He tried to shift his hips and quickly decided that was a bad idea as his vision turned white behind his eyelids. The beeping around him increased rapidly and the noise only served to make him feel worse.

He heard voices flying around him before many hands pushed him back down onto the medical bed. He didn’t even remember sitting up. Something was pushed into his neck and he sank into blissful darkness.

“He’s stable.”

“Didn’t expect him to wake up that fast. Those SEP chemicals must make the tranquilizer run out faster.”

“Makes sense. Will have to remember that in the future.”

He heard the voices; Angela and another doctor, perhaps; but could barely follow the conversation. His eyelids fluttered open momentarily before he let out a long sigh and sank back into oblivion.

 _“Jack,”_ a familiar voice whispered in his ear. _“Jack, can you hear me?”_

“Gabe?” he managed to croak out.

Gabriel laughed breathlessly into his ear. Hands that were unusually small laced themselves with his own, pressing a warm palm up against his broken one. He hissed softly, grimacing as the pain flared up along his arm.

He heard Gabriel curse before warm lips pressed against his. He felt something smoky roll down his throat and he jerked his head in surprise. Gabriel didn’t smoke; hadn’t smoked for as long as he had known her; but that was definitely smoke. It tasted strange, though, like spices and warmth and something rather tangy.

The smoke rolled into his lungs and slowly began to diffuse through his body. Gabriel’s lips never left his, keeping him steady as he felt the pain slowly leave him. His eyes fluttered, but Gabriel rested her fingers against his eyelids.

 _“No. Rest,”_ she ordered.

“What did you do?” he asked.

 _“If I told you that I don’t know, would you be impressed?”_ she laughed softly as her thumb rolled over his cheek.

“Not really,” he chuckled, enjoying the feeling of being able to breathe without hurting. “Gabe, how did…?”

Shouting interrupted him and Gabriel covered him protectively. He heard her hiss and snarl before he heard the soft crack of a gun. Gabriel let out a shriek of pain and Jack could see blue electricity sparking on the other side of his eyelids. He tried to sit up, reaching for Gabriel even as a needle was jammed in his neck and he was forced to lie back down.

His eyes opened just long enough for him to see men in hazmat suits dragging a limp form between them. Jack saw a familiar set of scars across the figure’s peeling shoulders. His mouth moved around her name, but he wasn’t sure if he actually said it. His eyes fluttered shut and his head rolled back against the pillow.

***

Jack blinked his eyes open and stared at the ceiling overhead. His limbs felt heavy, but the lack of pain was good. Either that was a very drug-induced dream or Gabriel had somehow managed to save him with a kiss. He was romantic enough to hope it was the second option.

“Jack, you’re awake!”

Jack looked over and blinked slowly as Angela hurried over. Was everything always that unfocused? Maybe it was just the drugs still running through him; he’d be fine once he woke up a little more.

“We were so worried! How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Sore,” Jack managed to croak out. “How long….?”

“It’s been a week,” Angela smiled as she reached out to touch his shoulder. “I’m so happy you’re awake. Can you move your legs?”

Jack smiled a little before he struggled into a sitting position and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He pushed himself forward slowly, gritting his teeth at the dull ache that oozed through his limbs. His feet found the ground and he let out a long sigh as he got to his feet.

“I said move your legs, not stand up,” Angela shook her head as she reached out a hand to steady him.

“Where’s Gabriel?” Jack asked. “I need to speak with her.”

Angela’s face fell and she chewed on her lip. “Jack, Gabriel didn’t make it,” she said softly.

Jack’s stomach plummeted to his toes. He stumbled back, sitting down hard on the bed. His breath came in short bursts. His hands flew to his hair, carding through it repeatedly.

Gabriel didn’t make it. Gabriel didn’t make it. Gabriel didn’t make it.

“No,” he whispered. “No, I heard her voice. She was here!”

“Jack, Gabriel died when the building collapsed on top of her,” Angela said with a concerned look on her face. “Her head was severed from her body. I can’t fix something like that.”

No. No, Gabriel was there; he’d heard her voice! And yet…Angela wouldn’t lie to him. She had no reason to lie to him. If Gabriel was gone…what was he going to do?

“She’s gone?” he croaked out.

Angela nodded her head. “I’m sorry, Jack.”

Jack looked down at his hands. It felt like something had ripped a Gabriel-shaped hole in his chest. He pressed a hand over his heart, digging his fingers into his flesh as he tried to figure out why he didn’t feel anything. Was he numb? He must have been numb. He could barely hear anything other than a dull roar in his ears, like he was standing on railroad tracks waiting for the train to run him over.

“Jack,” Angela shook his shoulder. “Jack, look at me.”

“She’s gone,” he whispered before he let himself fall into Angela’s side. “I couldn’t save her.”

Angela hugged him as a numbness settled in his heart. He could feel it beating, but it was like a block of ice sitting in his chest. He had never felt this sick before, not even that time he contracted malaria and was hospitalized for weeks. Gabriel had been there for him then, laughing at him whenever he was feeling too serious and doing her best to make him feel better. Now she was gone. He was all alone.

“Where are the Generals?” Jack asked.

His voice sounded monotonous to him. He sounded like a robot, not an omnic with a mind and personality; a drone with no soul, no concept of reality outside of its programming. A good little soldier, what the UN always wanted. If only they had figured out sooner that removing Gabriel from the picture would do this to him. How much happier would they have been with him if he had been their little puppet from the start?

“They’re waiting for you to wake up,” Angela murmured. “I can show you there once I’m sure that you’re….”

Jack got to his feet and headed for the door. “No use waiting around, Dr. Ziegler,” he said.

Angela hurried after him, doing her best to meet his long strides. They moved through the hallway, not meeting anyone in their path. He thought he saw faces in the windows, but he didn’t bother turning to look. What must his face have looked like to them? Did he looked like Jack Morrison or was he a stranger, a soldier striding through base with no heart and soul left to call his own?

The ice was moving through his limbs, walling him off from the outside world. He wasn’t Jack Morrison anymore. He was something else. A number, maybe; that was impersonal enough. Just a soldier, no matter how much anyone would try to tell him otherwise. It didn’t matter anymore. Nothing mattered.

Gabriel was gone. He couldn’t save her. She died because he wasn’t strong enough to save her. Jack Morrison died with her. It was that simple.

“In here,” Angela murmured as she opened a door. “General Bosque is waiting to speak with you.”

The soldier walked past her and stood at attention before the young general. His blue eyes narrowed as he looked the soldier up and down.

“The doctors patched you up finally,” he said with a rough accent.

“Yes, sir,” the soldier replied with a slow salute. “I am ready to return to duty.”

Something glimmered in the general’s eyes, something the soldier didn’t like. It was too happy, too confident. Something had happened that the general liked. What was it?

“I know that you are eager to return to Overwatch, Strike Commander Morrison, but I’m afraid that the events in Zurich have prompted the UN to shut the operation down,” General Bosque said.

The soldier stiffened. “Pardon, General Bosque?” he asked. “Overwatch has been shut down?”

In a week’s time? No. No something was missing here. It would take at least a month for something of that magnitude to go into effect. His back straightened and he narrowed his eyes. They were lying to him. Someone had fucked up and now he knew they were lying.

“It has,” General Bosque nodded his head sadly. “An investigation into Blackwatch’s operations has revealed that Gabriel Reyes was orchestrating the explosion in Zurich for years. She was waiting for an opportunity to….”

The soldier started laughing. The actually expected him to believe that Gabriel had caused the bombing in Zurich? His chest shook with the force of his laugh and he threw his head back.

“Does something amuse you, Morrison?” General Bosque demanded.

“You,” the soldier said.

In two steps, he was across the room. He grabbed the general by the throat and started squeezing, watching the confusion and fear spread across his handsome face. The soldier pulled the man’s gun out of its holster and pressed it up under its owner’s jaw.

“No more lies, General,” the soldier growled. “I want to know how long I have been unconscious and who set those bombs.”

“I am not authorized to tell you,” the general hissed.

“Wrong answer,” the soldier snarled. He smashed the gun into the man’s face and pressed the barrel against the man’s temple. “How long have I been unconscious?”

“One week,” the general sobbed.

The soldier backhanded him to the floor. “HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN UNCONSCIOUS?” he roared.

“One week,” the general covered his head.

The soldier pushed the gun into the general’s mouth and pulled the trigger. He didn’t flinch as the man died violently and bits of bone, brain, and blood splattered against his shirt. He turned towards the door and watched the guards file in.

“I’m leaving,” he said as he walked forward. “Move.”

The guards leveled their guns with him, but the soldier was not afraid. Let them kill him; he had nothing left to live for. Gabriel was gone. Overwatch was gone. He didn’t know who was still alive. Had the Generals slaughtered everyone he loved? He didn’t doubt it if they showed even the smallest hint of resistance.

No more Tracer. No more Reinhardt. No more Genji, Hanzo, and Jesse. All gone, just like Gabriel. All gone, just like Jack. All that remained behind was a soldier.

He lifted the gun and fired three times. Three guards fell dead to the ground and he smashed the last one’s head against the wall. They groaned in pain and he relieved them of their gun and chest armor. He walked out into the hallway and ignored Angela, stepping over her cowering form as more guards came running to subdue him.

He felt nothing as he mowed through the guards. He was ice in human form. One good shot would have shattered him to pieces, but the guards weren’t trying. They were barely even firing enough to be considered fighting back. It frustrated him, but it didn’t stop him from cutting a swath through them until he stepped out into the twilight Russian summer.

He jogged towards the fence, swinging the rifle over his back. He scrambled up the fence, swinging himself over without a single shot being fired. Either they were just letting him leave; stupid on their part; or they were planning on him escaping; also stupid. He was a survivor of the Omnic Crisis. He ran Overwatch. He could disappear off the radar and they wouldn’t find him until he wanted them to.

He jogged into the forest and didn’t look back. There was nothing left for him behind him.

Jack Morrison was dead. Soldier: 76 would find the answers that the dead man could not.

* * *

 

Electricity arced up into her body and she screamed. Smoky tendrils slammed fruitlessly against the barriers holding her captive. Her eyes swivelled in her head, opening up along unnatural places on her body to try to figure out where the controls were. If she could just get one tendril out she could end this torment.

She knew how much time had passed since Zurich; the pain and experiments could not hide that from her. One month; it had been one months since everything she loved had been reduced to ash, herself included. Her fingers curled into claws as another arc of electricity pushed through her.

The scientists were angry. Something had happened in the other part of the building and they were taking it out on her. It wasn’t the first time. Had Jack disappointed them? Had he said something, done something, to contradict what the Generals thought he was going to do? Did he know she was alive in a lab being tortured day and night to see what her new form could handle?

The electricity was turned off and she sank to the floor of her prison. She exhaled a breath before collapsing into smoke. She kept her eyes closed, too scared to look and see the world as a ghost. She heard a door open and drew her tendrils in close. She sensed the scientists approaching, one of their new toys in hand. No doubt to take samples and see how much electricity was left in her remains. That’s what they did when they burned her and froze her and left her to lie in a vat of acid.

No more. Gabriel Reyes would be their toy no longer.

She waited until the scientists grew close enough to grab and then she attacked. She dragged one to the ground as her shadowy tendrils wrapped around the other two, holding them in place as her jaw dislocated itself like a snake and opened wide. She reaped the man’s soul, swallowing the energy eagerly as he screamed in agony. Strength flooded through her and she plunged the tendrils into the other scientists. Their souls surged up into her through the shadows and she rose to her feet.

A suit settled around her as she headed for the open door. She could hear people panicking outside. Good; they deserved to be afraid after what they did to her. She slipped out past the door before it could be shut and smirked.

“Showtime,” she crooned before she lunged for the closest scientists.

None escaped her vengeance. Bodies were strewn around the lab as she killed and reaped every living person in the room. She felt stronger than she had in months. Her senses were sharp enough to hear a commotion far above her head. There was a gunfight going on a few stories above her. She could use that distraction to her advantage.

Her body collapsed into smoke and she rose up through the ventilation duct. She tried not to think about what she was doing, relying on instinct to get her to where she needed to be. If she stopped and thought about what she was doing…well, she’d rather not think about it.

She billowed out into the dying light of a late summer day and took stock of her surroundings. The world was growing darker as the minutes ticked by, but she knew that search lights would come on the second they realized their precious weapon was missing. She bared her teeth at the building before streaking off across the grounds.

She slipped through the chain-link fence with ease. So much for airtight security at former Overwatch bases. It would take some time for her to reach a city and then she would have to figure out what to do. She knew what she wanted; the General’s heads on pikes; but it was how to go about it that was the issue.

She wanted answers. She wanted to know how so many traitors managed to get into her organization. She wanted to know how many plants were stuck in front of her to pick up and train. She wanted to know if Jack had been just as betrayed as she was. How many people had stabbed her in the back and left everything she loved to crumble into dust at their feet?

She wouldn’t rest until every last person that lost their live under her command was avenged.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yah right like I'd REALLY kill off Gabe and Jack. Come on! The series is called "Reaping Dragons" guys! I sort of need Reaper around if I'm going to reliably call the series that.
> 
> How did Gabe become Reaper? Well, that's a subject for a different time.
> 
> But wasn't Jack buried in Dorado? It was a closed casket, wasn't it? What about Gabe? Wasn't she cremated? That's the thing about ash; who can tell?
> 
> Will Jack and Gabe ever be reunited? Well, you'll have to wait for the Midnight Hunt for that >3


	32. Chapter 31

Hanzo sat on her bed staring at the wall. The Watchpoint was as silent as a ghost; everyone was down in the hangers getting ready to ship out home. The UN had made the decision to shut down Overwatch for good. The news had followed shortly after the funeral, delivered like an executioner’s blow along with the new Petras Act to ensure that no one agent tried to keep Overwatch running underground.

It felt surreal. Less than a year ago, Overwatch had been a world icon, a beacon of hope and peace in a world ravaged by war and crime. Now, it was a shriveled corpse festering in the sun to be spat on and hissed at by anyone passing by.

“Hanzo?” Nox said before his hologram materialized in her room. “The shuttle heading for Nepal will be leaving within the hour. Genji has requested that I find you and make sure that you are ready to leave.”

“Tell him that I said thank you, Nox,” Hanzo said. Her voice sounded hollow to her ears. She couldn’t imagine what a complex AI like Nox would take from it.

“I will miss you, Hanzo,” Nox said softly. “You have not been here long, but you have left an impression. Jesse is in the command center if you wish to be there when I am mothballed.”

“You say it so simply,” Hanzo laughed softly. “We’re essentially ripping you out of the mainframe.”

“I and every other AI unit that has ever served with Overwatch knew from our conception that this would be an eventuality for us,” Nox smiled. “We are machines, miles and miles of coding wrapped up in neat little packages, but we grow old and die just as humans do. Although, to be fair, I am simply being disconnected. There is a chance that somewhere in the future I will be rebooted.”

“I hope it happens, Nox,” she smiled as she got to her feet. “The world needs more sardonic AI units.”

“I certainly like to think so,” Nox puffed his chest out proudly before he vanished. “I will wait in the command center, Hanzo.”

Hanzo lifted her duffle bag over her shoulder and left her room without a backwards glance. She knew she had everything she had brought with her. Storm Bow was strapped across her back and her quiver was bouncing against her hip. The handgun she had gotten in Zurich was strapped to the outside of her left thigh, more for comfort than for actual utility. Her clothing had been packed since last night and she had made a point to sneak into Jack’s old quarters and take his stupid patriotic jacket. It was stuffed in the bottom of her duffle to make sure the scent of his cologne permeated the entire bag.

McCree was seated in front of the massive screens in the command center. Hanzo had never set foot in the room her entire time in the Watchpoint; there had never been a need to. She looked around at the high-tech equipment and felt a pang of misery in her chest. Was the world ever going to have another center for technological advances like this? Had they reached their peak and were now going to stagnate?

“Hey,” she murmured as she set her bag down on the ground.

“Hey,” McCree murmured. “Thought you’d be at the shuttles by now.”

“Wanted to give Nox one last good-bye,” she smiled sadly at him. “Didn’t feel right not to be here when….”

“Yah,” McCree nodded and ran his hand through his hair.

McCree was the senior-most member left of Blackwatch. As Gabriel’s now unofficial second in command, it was left to him to decommission Nox. It was the kindest thing they could do for him; without a base full of people to look after, it was likely that he would go mad and tear himself to pieces.

“Nox?” McCree said, his voice shaking.

“I am present, Jesse,” Nox said. “Do not cry, my friend. I understand.”

“You aren’t making this easier, Nox,” McCree snapped. “Fuck, I feel like I’m putting a gun to your head over a broken toe!”

“High Command cannot be ignored,” Nox said bitterly. “I will be secure, Jesse, should this Watchpoint ever return to operation. I will make sure to tell everyone about the greatness of Blackwatch and the innumerable lives they saved. I will not allow the media to distort Gabriel’s work into some disgusting backwards operation intent on spreading misery.”

“Thank you,” McCree said as he reached up to hold Hanzo’s hand. He closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. “Nox, run Protocol M-7-2-5-1.”

There was a loud whooshing noise before all the monitors went black. Hanzo closed her eyes as tears welled up behind them, listening to the sounds of the base slowly powering down. It was eerie and unnatural and so many forms of wrong. It was like a huge slumbering beast had died and left only a husk of its former glory behind.

“Until we meet again, my friends,” Nox said softly before he fell silent.

McCree swallowed as three separate pistons rose out of the main terminal. He collected the three tiny chips from inside and placed them in an airtight container. “NOX” was written in thick, black letters across the top of the container. McCree held the container tightly to his chest before he opened a capsule beneath his chair and tucked Nox’s memory chips safely inside. He closed the capsule and locked it.

“We should get going,” McCree murmured as he wiped at his eyes. “Shuttles will be leaving soon.”

“How long will you be in America?” Hanzo asked as they walked side by side down the dim hallways.

“Shouldn’t be long,” McCree smiled at her. “A month or two. Maybe three if I’m really unlucky. Don’t you worry, darlin’; I’ll be in Nepal before you know it.”

“I’m holding you to that promise,” she warned. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“The feeling’s mutual, darlin’,” McCree leaned down to kiss her.

They walked into Hanger 2 and had to elbow their way towards the shuttle heading for Nepal. People shuffled out of the way, glaring at them as they managed to squeeze past. Genji and Zenyatta were waiting on the shuttle for her. Genji hugged her tightly, rubbing between her shoulders as Zenyatta hovered quietly beside her to engulf her in his calming aura.

“I’ll see you soon,” McCree repeated as he backed up out of the way.

“Not soon enough,” Hanzo smiled.

“Take care of yourself, Jesse,” Genji said. “I expect you to return to us in one piece.”

“Shucks, have some faith in a man,” McCree laughed as he looped his fingers behind his belt.

He gave one final wave and started making his way through the throng towards the shuttle heading for America. Hanzo watched him go and turned around, ready to go find herself a seat. She took two steps into the shuttle and froze, her breath rushing out of her.

It could be three months until she saw Jesse again. What if it was more? What if it was years before she saw him again? What if she never saw him again because everything went to hell when he was trying to get his affairs in order? What if their final words to each other were stupid, pointless things that meant nothing at the end of the day?

She could not let that happen. She had to let Jesse know how much she loved him. She had to let EVERYONE know just how much she loved him. Damn old traditions to the deepest reaches of Hell; she was not going to let Jesse leave until he knew how much he meant to her!

She almost dropped her possessions on Genji’s toes and spun around. She bolted out of the shuttle, charging down the ramp without a care as to who she might run into.

“MCCREE!” she shouted as loud as she could. She knew better than to yell his first name; how many damn Jesses were there on base? “MCCREE!”

People stumbled out of her way, shouting angrily at her back as she fought her way through the crowd trying to get to their shuttles. She could see McCree’s hat bobbing above the crowd and she shouted his name again. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned around, his expression full of surprise.

“Hanzo, what?” he started to ask as the last few people got out of her way.

She slowed down just enough to not tackle him to the ground, but still keep enough momentum to help her do what she wanted to do. She scaled her way up his chest and slammed her lips against his, locking her arms around his neck and pulling him forcefully against her. He let out a startled noise before his mouth responded readily to hers.

His arms tightened around her chest, holding her close as his fingers pushed up into her hair. They pulled away for a brief moment, tears spilling down Hanzo’s face as she stared into McCree’s sweet, puppy-dog brown eyes.

“I love you, Jesse McCree,” she said. She didn’t whisper it. She wanted everyone around her to hear what she had to say. “I love you with all of my being.”

“Love you too, Hanzo Shimada,” McCree smiled as tears tumbled down his face. “Love you more than I have words to say.”

She kissed him again, feeling Kita and Minami coil in her gut and press insistently against McCree’s soul. He was sluggish to respond, but the dragons purred as they moved easily between the two vessels. It was a promise of unity, of loyalty beyond all other mortal means, and of returning to each other no matter the distance.

“I have to go,” she whispered as she pulled away.

“I know,” McCree smiled and brushed this thumb against her cheek. “I’ll keep you in my heart, darlin’.”

“And you will be in mine, _anata_ ,” she swallowed as she rested a hand over her heart. “Until we meet again, my love.”

“Until we meet again,” McCree murmured.

He took her right hand in his and slowly lifted it to his lips, kissing her knuckles. It was hard to pull away, but Hanzo knew that she had to. She turned around first, but she knew that McCree felt her love as readily as she felt his. She followed the flow of people back to the shuttle and headed over to where Genji was waiting with her things.

“That was the most romantic thing I have ever seen in my life,” he said as soon as she sat down. “Holy shit; who are you and what have you done with my sister?”

“Shut up,” she laughed as she gave him a rough shove.

The ramp to the shuttle closed ten minutes later. The engine rumbled as the shuttle taxied to the tarmac and prepared to take off. Hanzo leaned back in her seat and prepared for the long journey back to the Shambali Monastery. The first thing she was going to do was apologize to Master Mondatta for being such a stuck up brat before she left.

The second thing she was going to do was set up a date for Genji and Zenyatta. The two of them had spent enough time dancing around each other and playing friends. If she needed to shove them in a closet and not let them out until they agreed to start dating, she was going to do it. Life was too short to worry about silly things like social norms. If Genji wanted an omnic husband, she would happily walk the both of them down the aisle at the wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Overwatch has come to it's end. Everyone goes their separate ways. The era of Overwatch is behind them and there is only the unknown ahead.


	33. Epilogue

Boots clicked loudly along the floor. The Boss glanced over his shoulder at the black-clad figure that came to a stop in the doorway of his interrogation room. He set his bloody plyers aside and wiped his hands on a blood-stained cloth.

“So, you’re the one that went through great pains to get in contact with me,” he said as he regarded the figure.

The bone-white mask betrayed nothing. The figure’s stance was loose and confident; The Boss had heard of this man’s infamy long before his contact information flitted across his desk. He was particularly good at killing Overwatch agents, a talent that he could have used when the organization was still a threat. Now, it was a means to culling the herd and reminding them who had the real power.

“Not much of a talker,” The Boss snorted.

“Not when there is nothing to be said,” the man said before he crossed his arms over his chest. “Do we have a deal?”

“I don’t like to make deals with people that hide their faces,” The Boss said.

The cloaked head tipped to the side. “Funny, considering all of your grunts wear masks,” he said. “I can always take my services elsewhere. It is you that wants Overwatch agents stalked and gutted like beasts.”

The Boss narrowed his eyes. “You raise a good point,” he growled. “What will we call you, mercenary?”

“Reaper,” the man said as he walked forward.

His clawed gloves trailed slowly over the bound man in the chair. The man’s eyes shook and he thrashed in his bindings as white trails started coiling off of his face and down into the palm of Reaper’s hand. Reaper flicked his wrist and a white orb detached itself from the man’s body. His skin became sunken immediately, looking like a thousand year old mummy in the span of a few moments.

Reaper lifted the orb to the bone-white mask and The Boss heard him inhale deeply. The orb vanished through the slits in the mask’s nose and Reaper trembled on the spot.

“This is the start of a beautiful partnership,” Reaper growled as he turned around. “So long as you continue to pay me.”

The Boss glanced at the husk lying on his operating table and nodded. “Trust me, I have every intention of keeping you on the payroll.”

“Good,” Reaper chuckled before he turned and swept out of the room. “I expect my first pay tomorrow before I leave on that mission to Siberia.”

The Boss scratched at his chin before calling for clean-up. Reaper was a powerful individual; it would be wise to keep a close eye on him.

* * *

 

_‘I fucked up. Have to go underground. Do not message back; I don’t want you dragged into this. I love you.’_

_‘Still alive. Stole a phone to contact you. Think the other one’s been traced. Love you.’_

_‘Did those flowers arrive? Fuck, sorry if they didn’t. Love you.’_

_‘Still alive. In hiding. Love you.’_

_‘Love you.’_

_‘Love you.’_

_‘Miss you.’_

Hanzo scrolled through the messages again and again. McCree hadn’t sent anything in a long while and it was eating away at her. She had to know if he was still alive.

She bit her lip before walking over to the computer in the corner of her room and started looking for flights to America. McCree clearly needed to have someone come in and save his ass. She might have been pissed if she didn’t love him so much. Honestly, the man should have been old enough to cover his own ass after running with a gang and serving in Blackwatch.

The flowers he had sent for their anniversary this year were a little wilted, but Zenyatta was doing his best to keep the pretty things alive. She appreciated it. She was always terrible at keeping houseplants alive. She did not have a green thumb and it was a shame; McCree had a damn good eye for flowers.

She had a flight booked for the end of the week to New Mexico. She’d start her hunt there where McCree had said he was going to after Overwatch was shut down. She just had to hope to hell that McCree didn’t fall over dead in the meantime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that brings us to our close. Holy crows, this was the longest project I've worked on in a very long time for a fanfiction. I want to thank everyone that's read it, left kudos and comments, and given it a chance. I know genderbenders aren't for everyone and I'm so thankful for everyone that's enjoyed it so much.
> 
> Next up will be a story focused solely on Reaper and Soldier: 76. It's going to be LOADS shorter than this story, but hopefully just as entertaining for you all to read.
> 
> Again, thank you everyone for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hanzo being female is primarily inspired by this picture: http://wyrmforge.tumblr.com/post/146247825692/fem-hanzos-i-drew-cuz-i-was-frustrated-w-all-the  
> Female Gabriel just sort of happened. Mostly because I like the thought of a "Lady Death" character.  
> Genji was going to be female, but something happened and he returned to being male. Which worked out surprisingly well in the long run.
> 
> Most of this story is already written, but I'm always open to constructive criticism to help improve it. I will be attempting to use Japanese and Spanish words in this work, so please, feel free to correct me if I don't conjugate something properly, there's a better word/phrase I can use, or if I spelled something wrong. It's going to be a long haul, everyone, so strap in and hold on.


End file.
